로그인Lana’s POVThe rain had not stopped.It fell steady and fine over the city, turning the streets to mirrors. The lamps along the river burned through the mist, their reflections bending with the water. From my window, I could hear the low hum of thunder somewhere beyond the hills.The hall had emptied hours ago, but the tension of the day had not faded. The whispers, the half-glances, the pointed questions — all of them clung like a shadow that refused to lift.I tried to read through the council notes again, but the words blurred together. Every sentence sounded like another accusation, every blank space like something left unsaid.When the knock came at the door, it startled me.“Come in,” I said.Warren stepped inside, rain still glistening on his shoulders. He had removed his cloak, but the rest of him looked unchanged — the calm, the quiet strength, the weight that never seemed to leave him.“I thought you might still be awake,” he said.“I could not sleep.”“Neither could I.”He
Lana’s POVThe morning after the storm broke bright and cold.The river shone silver beneath the rising sun, but the air inside the Accord Hall was thick with whispers. Delegates moved in small circles before the session began, their voices low, their glances careful.I felt the change the moment I entered. The hush that followed me was not respect — it was curiosity sharpened into speculation.Red Moon had become the talk of the accords overnight.A few of the younger envoys looked away when I passed. Others did not bother to hide their murmurs. Their eyes slid toward Warren, then back to me, their meaning clear.He stood near the head of the table, speaking quietly with Grayson. The line of his shoulders was rigid, his voice calm, but I knew him well enough to sense when restraint was costing him effort.I took my place beside him without a word. The air between us was measured, deliberate. Even silence could be mistaken for proof.Lord Theron struck the table once with his staff. “
Lana’s POVThe bells of the Accord Hall rang slow and deliberate, summoning the delegates back to their seats.I had barely slept. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Warren standing beneath the moonlight, his voice low, his words still echoing through me. The rain had fallen long into the night, soft and endless, as if the sky itself needed to wash away everything that had been left unsaid.When I entered the hall, he was already there.He stood near the head of the table, speaking quietly with Lord Theron. His cloak was gone, replaced by a plain dark tunic, the mark of Red Moon stitched small over his chest. There was nothing ceremonial about it, yet he looked every bit the leader.For a moment, I simply watched him. The light from the tall windows touched his hair, the line of his jaw, the stillness that never quite left his shoulders. It struck me then how much quieter he had become since peace began. Not softer — quieter, as if silence had become his armor.He turned just as I sta
Lana’s POVThe city slept beneath a silver moon.From the balcony, I could see the river curving through the streets, the lamplight glimmering on its surface like broken glass. The sound of music drifted faintly from the lower square, where the delegates celebrated the first day of the accords. It was soft and distant, a memory of joy rather than joy itself.I should have gone to rest. Tomorrow would be another day of negotiation, another day of measured words and careful restraint. But the thought of sleep felt impossible.Too much had settled inside me, restless and unspoken.I wrapped my cloak tighter around my shoulders and leaned against the railing. The stone was cold beneath my hands. The air smelled faintly of rain, the promise of another storm waiting somewhere beyond the hills.For so long, I had known exactly who I
Lana’s POVThe light crept through the tall windows of the Accord Hall, pale and cold, spilling across the polished stone floor. The banners of each territory hung heavy in the still air, their colors muted in the morning haze. Beneath them, the great table waited — a ring of oak and iron carved with the sigils of old alliances.I stood near the far end, watching the hall fill. Delegates moved like ripples across still water, voices low and deliberate. Every word mattered here. Every gesture carried history.Warren entered a few moments later, his expression calm but unreadable. He wore no armor, only the deep red cloak of Red Moon, its edges embroidered with new thread. It looked almost ceremonial, though it was still frayed from travel.When his gaze found mine, something in his eyes softened. The smallest acknowledgment, shared in silence, before he turned to greet the others.The envoy from the High Council, Lord Theron, raised his hand for quiet. “The accords of midsummer convene,
Lana’s POVThe road to the accords began at dawn.The camp stirred long before the first light touched the river. Horses stamped in the frost-tipped grass, packs were strapped tight, and the soft murmur of voices carried through the chill. It felt different from any march we had made before. There was no urgency in it, only purpose.I tightened my cloak and glanced once at the ridge behind us. The smoke from the rebuilding fires rose thin and steady into the morning air. For the first time, leaving did not feel like fleeing.Warren approached, already mounted. “Ready?”“As I will ever be.”“Then we ride.”He offered his hand, and I let him help me onto my horse. His touch was brief, steady, familiar. We rode side by side as the sun broke through the trees, turning the frost to gold.The journey was long, but it was not lonely.For days we followed the river road, winding through valleys that had once been battlefields. The earth had already begun to heal. Wildflowers pushed through th
Lana’s POVThe sound reached us in waves, the low hum of voices, the metallic ring of armor, the restless snort of beasts.Callen’s army had arrived.From where I stood on the tower’s broken ledge, I could see the full scope of it. Dozens of banners, red and silver, rippling in the cold wind. Rows
Lana’s POVThe river stretched before us, wide and slow under the gray sky. The mist had lifted, leaving behind a pale light that made everything look washed and hollow. The air was cold, carrying the scent of smoke from the battle behind us.No one spoke. The soldiers moved like ghosts along the r
Lana’s POVThe sun climbed slowly through a pale sky, thin light spilling across the ruins of the mill. Steam rose from the river below, turning everything silver and ghostlike. For the first time in days, there was no sound of pursuit.The quiet should have comforted me. It did not.We had eaten w
Lana’s POVThe river ran beside us like a dark ribbon, cold and endless. The moon had sunk behind the ridge, leaving the world in shadow. The only light came from the faint glow of the mist and the water’s slow shimmer.We moved in silence, the sound of our boots splashing in the shallows the only







