Alessia's POV: The rain has stopped, but the scent of blood still clings to the air. It's quieter now. Not silent - no, the wounded groan, the dying whisper, and I can hear the earth breath beneath our feet - but the battle is over. I sit on the crack tower floor, my knees drawn to my chest, Derek beside me. His hand hasn't left mine since the moment he kissed me. His warmth is my anchor, even as everything else around us feels like it's unraveling. Cyre is gone - Darren carried her to the healer's tent, but the blood she lost, the weariness in her eyes... I swallow. No. She will survive. She has to. "Alessia," Derek murmurs, his thumb brushing across my knuckles. "You saved us." "You would've done the same," I whisper, through the weight of what I unleashed - what I became - still coils tight in my chest. My throat burns, my voice still raw from the scream.
Last Updated : 2025-06-24 Read more