Semua Bab Claimed by the Fallen Five: Bab 21 - Bab 26

Mae stirred first. Warmth surrounded her—deep, enveloping warmth that wasn’t just the blankets layered over her body. It wasn’t the type of heat that came from a fire or the rising sun. No, this was more intimate. Personal. Felt. The steady rhythm of breathing. The subtle brush of skin against skin. Her eyes blinked open slowly, heavy with sleep. Her lashes fluttered as her vision adjusted to the soft light filtering in through the windows of her room. That’s when she realized—she wasn’t alone. A strong arm was tucked beneath her neck. Another was draped over her middle, resting protectively across her waist with a hand spread over her stomach like it had always belonged there. Her breath hitched. Her back was pressed flush to someone else’s chest. Solid. Warm. Steady. A heartbeat thudded softly behind her, strong and measured. She didn’t need to turn to know who it was. Ashar. The realization made her stomach flip. A mixture of heat and nerves rippled through her

The Sanctum dimmed after the vision ended, but the air remained charged. Everyone stood frozen—each one reeling. Then— “Get out.” Riven’s voice sliced clean through the silence. Kaine blinked. “Excuse me?” Riven took a step forward, eyes dark. “You looked at her like a weapon. A threat. I saw it in every one of you.” His voice cracked with something too raw to name. “So get. Out.” Sethis frowned but didn’t argue. Lucien lingered for a moment—studying Mae, then Ashar—before nodding silently and ushering the others out. The door sealed behind them, humming with finality. Now, it was just Mae, Ashar, and Riven—in the heart of the sanctum, surrounded by ancient memory and possibility. Riven turned to Mae, softer now. “Do you want the truth?” he asked. “Not pieces, not guesses. The whole thing—from when Ashar’s people fell... to when you formed. What happened the day he came into this dimension... and what that did to you.” Mae’s eyes burned with unshed tears. She nod

The three of them—Mae, Ashar, and Riven—walked deeper into the hills beyond the restored castle grounds, where shimmering grass grew thick between cracks of obsidian-like stone, and the air shimmered faintly with the last remnants of what used to be a broken world. Ashar was ahead, moving silently through the trees, checking terrain, scanning for anything alive—or dangerous. Riven hung back beside Mae, more alert than he let on, his usual humor muted under a quiet tension. For a while, they walked in silence. Then Riven said, softly, “You know… I didn’t even want to be at that auction.” Mae glanced sideways. “Then why were you there?” He gave a half-laugh. “Ashar was curious. Not like, hey let’s buy a slave curious—but curious about why the Council put that kind of price on someone they said was ‘defective.’ He was already suspicious.” He shrugged. “I was just bored.” She raised a brow. “And now?” Riven exhaled. “Now I’m... less bored." Mae smiled faintly. But his voic