The world was quiet.Elena woke to silence so deep it felt like she had fallen into another world. Her body ached everywhere. Her mouth was dry, her lungs heavy with smoke. For a long moment, she just lay there, staring up at the sky.It was still night, but the stars were gone. A dull orange glow filled the horizon, and the smell of burnt wood clung to everything.She moved slowly, her fingers brushing against ash. The ground around her was warm, soft like dust. When she lifted her hand, gray flakes stuck to her skin.Her mind was blank at first. Then, all at once, memory crashed back in—the fire, the voice, Lucian’s shout, the blinding light that swallowed everything.She sat up too fast and gasped. The forest was gone.All around her, trees had been turned to black skeletons. Smoke rose from the earth in thin curls. The air shimmered faintly with leftover heat. But strangely, the circle where she sat was untouched—green, whole, alive.“Elena!”Her heart jumped. She turned toward th
Last Updated : 2025-10-04 Read more