The ruins of the inner citadel were still smoldering when Saraphina stepped through the broken archway. The air reeked of smoke, salt, and blood—the scent of a city that had burned for its freedom. She walked barefoot across the cracked marble, every step marked with ash and the faint shimmer of gold that trailed from her skin.Lucian was waiting at the far end of the hall, half his shirt torn, a streak of crimson running down his arm. His eyes found her immediately. For a heartbeat, all the noise of the world seemed to vanish—the shouts outside, the moans of the wounded, the thunder of collapsing stone.“You shouldn’t be here,” he said quietly, though his hand reached for her anyway. “The fires still haven’t died.”She touched his fingers, her voice soft but steady. “They never die. They only change what they burn.”Behind them, Kaelen and Mirielle entered with a group of survivors. Kaelen’s usual defiance was gone; exhaustion sat heavy on him, though his eyes still flickered with th
Last Updated : 2025-10-21
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