The first light of the new sun spilled over the pack lands like liquid gold, but it was not the warmth that surprised me most—it was the silence that followed, soft and reverent, no longer sharp with fear or doubt. For the first time in my life, when I stepped through the gates, heads turned not to sneer or whisper, but to bow with genuine respect. Children ran forward, then hesitated, unsure if they were allowed to approach, until I knelt and smiled, and they swarmed around me like baby birds, clutching at my sleeves and asking if I truly had talked to the moon.
Kael walked close behind me, his hand resting lightly on the hilt of his sword, but his posture was no longer rigid with command. He watched every person we passed, his gaze lingering on those who had once mocked me, and I saw th
