Chapter 166

• Zara’s POV
• The sun rose soft and golden that morning, painting the Academy in light instead of shadows. For weeks I had grown used to smoke-choked skies, broken walls, and the feeling of fear. But today, the world dared to look beautiful again.
• The courtyard had been scrubbed clean, marble floors polished until they gleamed. Silver banners rippled in the breeze, their embroidered crests catching the sunlight like mirrors. Vases of lilac and white roses lined the stage, their fragrance floating on the air, mixing with the warmth of summer. It was so strange, this shift—after fire and chaos, after blood staining these same stones, the Academy stood dressed like a bride for her final vow.