The scent of rain lingered in the air, a faint promise of cleansing after the chaos of battle. The castle halls were quieter than usual, the echoes of hurried footsteps replaced with the somber murmurs of soldiers and healers.
The aftermath was palpable, the kind of silence that carried the weight of loss and survival.
I stood by the window in the library, the view of Verauno’s sprawling city just visible through the stained glass. The sun was setting, casting hues of gold and crimson over the rooftops.
The sight was beautiful, almost serene, but it felt wrong. There was too much to process, too much pain lingering in the air for beauty to feel real.
A soft knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts.
“Come in,” I said, keeping my tone neutral.
The door creaked open, and I didn’t
