The forest that had roared with blood, screams, and lies only moments ago now sat in a stunned silence. The air was thick with smoke and the ghost of violence. Every breath scraped my throat, tasting of iron and ash. Somewhere far off, a tree cracked and fell, the final groan of a battlefield giving up its fight.My pulse was still hammering in my chest like a war drum when I heard it.“Damien—”Her voice.I spun toward the sound. There, by the twisted altar of roots, Celeste knelt — trembling but free. The ropes that had held her were gone, scattered like the last remnants of a nightmare. Sebastian was beside her, pale and bloodied, but breathing.For a long moment, I just stood there, the smoke curling around us, unsure if any of it was real. Then I let out a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding. The weight pressing on my chest eased, if only a little.“You’re both safe now,” I said quietly.Celeste lifted her gaze to me. Her eyes shimmered, not just with tears but with something
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