A full year had passed since the chaos ended, since Matteo and I had finally taken back control of our lives. The city had quieted, the empire stabilized, and for the first time, we could breathe without glancing over our shoulders. Today was different. Today the garden was full of laughter, not fear. Our child’s first birthday had arrived, and the small courtyard glowed with sunlight, decorations, and the soft chatter of friends and family who had survived alongside us. For the first time in a long time, everything felt ordinary. Safe. Real. And I couldn’t stop smiling.Alessia hovered near the cake table, hands folded quietly in front of her. She wasn’t loud, wasn’t trying to steal attention but her eyes were full of the kind of soft pride you feel when someone you care about finally gets peace.She crouched down briefly to tickle the baby’s tiny feet, letting out a quiet laugh that blended with the chatter around her. “Look at them,” she whispered to me, “happy, unafraid… finall
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