Silence. A suffocating, unbearable, soul-crushing silence.The portal was gone. No shadows remained, no dark energy lingered, and no trace of Aiden existed. There was only empty air, as if the boy had never been there at all.Seraphina stood frozen in the center of the ruined chamber. Her hands trembled violently and her breathing became shallow, uneven. *No. No. No. This couldn't be happening.* She had carried him beneath her heart. She had protected him through storms, through exile, through hunger, and through loneliness. Through five years of constant fear, she had survived everything for him.And now, he was gone.A broken sound escaped her lips, then another, until the tears came—raw, painful, and uncontrollable. Killian turned toward her, but before he could speak, Seraphina collapsed. Her knees struck the marble floor, and she wrapped her arms around herself as though holding her entire world together, as though she might shatter if she let go."Aiden..." her voice cracked. "M
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