LOGINDarren's POV The air in my office was thick, stagnant with the scent of expensive perfume and the lingering metallic tang of frustration. I sat behind my desk, the heavy mahogany providing a barrier that felt increasingly thin as the two people in front of me continued to fray my nerves. My head throbbed, a rhythmic pounding behind my eyes that synchronized with the sharp clicking of Liora’s heels as she paced the length of the room."I just don't understand the logic, Darren," Liora said, her voice rising to a pitch that set my teeth on edge. She stopped abruptly and turned to face me, her hands planted firmly on her hips. Her eyes were narrowed, the pupils dilated with a mixture of anger and disbelief. "Why would you ask Nia to stay a little bit longer? The woman was demoted. She is a disgrace to the rank she once held, and yet you are treating her like an honored guest who just hasn't decided when to check out of the hotel."I leaned back in my leather chair, the springs creaking
I stood at the entrance of the council hall with my chin slightly lifted and my expression calm, even though I could feel the weight of a hundred eyes settling on my skin the moment the doors were pushed open. The guards announced my presence with a tone that carried both respect and uncertainty, as though they were unsure whether to call me by a title that no longer belonged to me or one that I had yet to fully claim.My steps were steady as I walked in, Kiera following just half a step behind me, her posture straight and her gaze sharp, watching everything without turning her head too much. I could feel the tension in her body, the way she measured each movement around us, and it grounded me more than I would ever admit out loud.The council members were already seated, their robes draped neatly over their shoulders, their expressions ranging from curiosity to disbelief. Some of them leaned forward slightly, studying my face as if trying to confirm that I was truly standing before t
Narek's POV The sun was a relentless eye in the sky as we stood at the edge of the village, the dust of the path already clinging to the hem of my travel-worn trousers. It had been exactly three days since the fall, three days of a heavy, suffocating silence that seemed to have its own heartbeat. The village chief, a man whose face was a map of wrinkles and kind intentions, handed me a heavy burlap sack filled with wild berries and firm, sun-ripened pomes. He patted my shoulder with a hand that smelled of earth and dried herbs, offering a small, knowing smile that I couldn't quite return with any sincerity. I felt the weight of his gaze, a mixture of pity and hope, and I simply nodded, securing the bag to my belt as I turned toward the dense treeline where the path toward the Wolf Temple began.Raphael was already several paces ahead of me, his back a rigid line of defiance against the morning light. He didn't look back to see if I was following, nor did he offer a word of thanks to
Nia's POV I leaned back against the edge of my desk, my fingers tapping slowly against the polished wood as I watched Darien from across the room, his expression carrying that familiar look of indifference that always made it hard to tell what exactly was going on in his head, and for a moment I simply studied him in silence before finally speaking.“Call for a council meeting,” I said, my voice calm but firm, my gaze not leaving him. “We will address everything at once, her arrival and the peace treaty.”Darien lifted his eyes toward me, one brow arching slightly as if he expected more, as if he thought I would hesitate or reconsider, but when I did not say anything further, he gave a small nod.“And what tone are we using for this announcement?” he asked, his voice carrying a hint of dry amusement. “Are we welcoming her as a guest or presenting her as something else entirely?”I let out a slow breath, straightening slightly.“As a guest,” I replied. “Nothing more, nothing less.”He
Narek's POV I did not miss what you’re pointing at, and you’re right to call it out, because this is not a fresh arrival chapter, this is a continuation, so the tone, familiarity, and tension must already feel established, not introductory.Here is the corrected continuation in Narek’s POV, written properly with flow, length, emotional layering, and no clipped structure.---I did not know when the noise stopped feeling foreign.At some point between being dragged into their evening gathering and sitting beside a fire I never intended to share, the voices around me stopped sounding like strangers and started blending into something warmer, something almost dangerous in how easily it settled under my skin.Raphael sat beside me, his shoulders tense, his jaw set, his eyes scanning everything like he expected a blade to fly out of laughter, and I almost laughed under my breath at how out of place he looked among people who had nothing to do with war.One of the villagers clapped his han
Nia's POV I sat quietly inside the carriage while staring through the small opening of the window, my fingers resting against the folded peace treaty document that Torin handed to me before our departure. The wheels rolled against the rough path slowly while Kiera hummed beside me with her legs crossed, her sword resting against her shoulder like she did not have a care in the world. I envied her calmness because the closer we got to Dark Crest Moon, the tighter my chest became.The scent of the territory reached me before the border gates even appeared.I closed my eyes slowly.Six years.Six whole years since I walked out of this place broken and poisoned.Six years since I carried my children inside my stomach while wondering if I would survive another night.Six years since I stopped being Luna Nia.Kiera leaned slightly toward me before nudging my arm gently."You are squeezing that paper too hard," she said softly.I lowered my gaze only to realize the edges of the document had







