Chapter 85 Morning After The Trial

• Dawn came gently.
• The desert stretched in soft gold and white, the sands glittering as though dusted with sunlight. From the temple’s open arches, the world looked reborn — quiet, almost sacred, as if even time paused to breathe.
• Lucia stirred to the sound of distant bells — the temple’s wards whispering with morning energy. Her head rested on Kelvin’s chest, and for the first time in what felt like years, his heartbeat was calm and steady beneath her ear.