Chapter 3: Broken Flames
Snow smothered the valley like a coffin. Silence followed the blast — thick, unnatural. Addie lay half-buried in frost, her light flickering. Somewhere to her right, Kael groaned. To her left, a streak of red fire sliced through the mist — Nira. She wasn’t unconscious. She was angry. Nira rose to her feet, flames circling her arms. Her eyes burned — not just with power, but with something personal. Across from her, one of the Awakened stepped forward. He wore a cracked red cloak — scorched along the edges. His face was hidden under a steel hood, but Nira knew the stance, the heat beneath his hands, the flicker of hesitation in his movements. “Ralen…” she whispered. The figure paused. Then, slowly, he removed his hood. Underneath was a familiar face — lean, sharp, once warm. But no
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