"Magic returned, but nothing felt the same."
The sun barely peeked over the castle walls as I stood at the window, watching Verauno awaken from another restless night. The city should have looked different—stronger, brighter—now that Aeron’s curse had been lifted. Yet, everything felt off.
I flexed my fingers, willing the energy within me to hum like it once did. The power was back, but it wasn’t familiar. It moved differently, sluggish at times, too fast at others. It no longer felt like an extension of myself, but something that had been forced back into my body after being torn away.
A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts. Asher’s voice carried through the heavy wood. “Aria?”
I hesitated before responding. “Come in.”
The door opened, and he stepped inside, his presence filling
