"Wars aren’t won without sacrifice. The question is, how much are you willing to lose before you realize what truly matters?"
The Battlefield
The ground was scorched. The air thick with the scent of blood and magic. The sounds of clashing steel and dying screams still echoed, but the battle was over.
Verauno had won.
But at what cost?
I stood at the edge of the ruined battlefield, my sword still gripped in my hand, surveying the destruction. Bodies littered the ground—ours, theirs. Smoke curled into the air from fires still raging beyond the valley.
And then—
"Asher!"
I turned instantly at the sound of Tobias’s voice.
He was running toward me, his face pale, frantic. "It’s Aria."
My chest tightened.
Without another word, I followed him.
The Aftermath
The moment I saw her, some
