Chapter 57 The Quite Before

• Rain fell in thin veils over the stronghold, soft and persistent, as if the skies themselves were sighing in relief. The war was behind them. But peace—real peace—still lingered just out of reach, like a thread of light caught behind clouded glass.
• Elira stood barefoot on the stone terrace, her hair damp and curling around her face. The wind carried the scent of wet earth and blooming jasmine. Below, the courtyard was being swept clean of ash. The blood had long since dried, but echoes of what had happened still clung to the walls.
• Kael stepped beside her, the quiet weight of his presence grounding. “You’re always here when it rains.”