The world outside the palace walls was vast and open, a contrast to the suffocating corridors of stone they had just escaped. The air was cooler now, the sky tinged with the last vestiges of the setting sun. Nia took a deep breath, filling her lungs with the scent of fresh air, of freedom—however temporary it may be.
But even as they stepped into the open, the weight of their decision pressed heavily on Nia's shoulders. They were free for now, but not safe. The empire would hunt them down. Eric's betrayal was only the beginning, and she knew the true battle had yet to come.
She glanced at Ash, who stood beside her, his face hardened with resolve. There was something different in him now—something more than the soldier he had once been. He had changed, just as she had. In the fire of thei
