Chapter 72

• Alera’s Pov
• I stared at the empty space beside me, the sheets still faintly warm but no longer holding the comforting presence of Kael. My fingers traced the fabric absentmindedly, as though trying to summon him back through memory alone.
• The room was quiet—too quiet. The fire from the night before had died down to a soft flicker, casting faint shadows across the high stone walls. Morning had come, but I remained wrapped in the silken cocoon of our bed, unwilling to rise, unwilling to face the storm brewing inside me.