The Moon hung low over the Citadel, casting long shadows over the stone towers and silver trees. Most of the fortress had gone quiet, the celebration now just memory. But Ava couldn’t sleep.Not with what waited beyond the next sunrise.The Realms Beyond.The fifth gate.The unknown.She stood on the eastern balcony in a thin slip of silk, the night wind brushing over her skin. Her mark ached dully—not in warning, but in want. Her soul threads tugged faintly, like they knew what she was thinking.She felt him before she heard him.Maddox.His presence was unmistakable—powerful, still, like a storm paused at the edge of the world.“You’re awake,” he said from the archway, voice low.“So are you.”He stepped forward, his long coat open, boots silent against the stone. His shirt was half unbuttoned, revealing the runes carved along his collarbone—the same runes that had glowed when she soul-bound him.Ava turned to face him fully. “You’ve been avoiding me.”“I’ve been trying not to want
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-07-15
