Chapter 52

• When Aria stepped out onto the stone balcony of her chamber, the sky was still cloaked in the dark velvet of early morning. The first brush of dawn hadn’t yet kissed the horizon, but the world began to stir in silence. A cold breeze whispered against her cheeks, lifting her hair slightly, reminding her this wasn’t just a journey. It was a battle in motion.
• Inside, Heaven helps tighten the cloak around her shoulders while Hana straps the small satchel of herbs and supplies across her back.
• “You don’t have to do this yourself,” Heaven murmured as she fastened the last clasp. “There are other ways… safer ways.”