Chapter 76

• For the next three days, I could barely move.
• Gosto stayed with me whenever he could, though most of his time was claimed by the war preparations. Still, I was never left alone. Not even for a second. Diamante was by my side most often, but Leandro also came frequently, offering help or just quiet company. Their protectiveness was relentless at times, they treated me as though I’d shattered every bone in my body and couldn't so much as lift a spoon. I cursed at them often, but I preferred their smothering presence over solitude.
• When I could finally walk again, I stepped outside and truly appreciated the secluded majesty of Gosto’s hidden refuge. The estate was nestled high in the Shadespire Mountains, encircled by the Light Forest. The name wasn’t poetic the trees genuinely shimmered with golden-yellow leaves, glowing like lanterns. The estate sprawled across several acres, with a vast clearing at the forest’s center, where Gosto’s army had erected their encampment.