"When power is stripped away, what remains is who you truly are."
The emptiness was the worst part. It wasn’t just the absence of my magic—it was the silence where it used to hum, a constant companion, a source of strength. Without it, I felt like a house missing its foundation, every step uncertain, every choice heavier. And yet, here I was, standing in the war room, surrounded by people who looked to me for answers I wasn’t sure I could give.
“Asher,” I said, breaking the tense silence. My voice came out steadier than I felt, a small victory in the storm raging inside me. “What’s the latest on Aeron’s movements?”
He glanced up from the map spread across the table, his dark eyes meeting mine. “He’s regrouping near the eastern border. Our scouts report increased activity, but it’s scatt
