The first rays of dawn over Obsidian Ridge did not arrive with the sharp, biting chill of the high northern wastes or the oppressive, sulfurous smog of the volcanic craters. Instead, they washed over the stone spires and terracotta roofs in a soft, amber wave, carrying the crisp, clean scent of mountain pine, blooming alpine lavender, and the damp earth of a world that had finally stopped bleeding.Inside the royal suite, the silence was absolute—not the tense, electric stillness of a war camp holding its breath before a midnight raid, but the deep, untroubled quiet of absolute peace.Caelum lay unmoving on his side, his large, muscular frame relaxed across the sprawling mattress. For the first time in as long as he could remember, his inner beast—the ancient, restless alpha wolf that had spent decades howling at phantom threats, guarding borders, and tasting the blood of void-lords and frost-sovereigns—was fast asleep. There was no static scratching at the edges of his consciousness,
Last Updated : 2026-08-28 Read more