••{SERAPHINE'S POV}••
As I walk through the halls of Darkholme, I can still feel the echo of my brother's embrace.
The reassurance he gave me has left behind something I have not felt in a very long time.
Peace.
Not enough to erase the fear. Not enough to quiet the dread that still lives in my chest every time I think of Samæl, of Azræl, of the council that is drawing closer with every passing hour.
But enough to let me breathe.
Enough to make me feel lighter as I move through the corridors, as though some small part of the weight I have been carrying has finally been lifted now that I know with certainty that I still have someone I can rely on no matter what.
By the time I reach my chambers, that fragile sense of peace still lingers.
The moment I push the doors open, I freeze.
The lightness vanishes at once and my heart drops to the bottom of my stomach.
"Sera, finally you're here," Ærella says softly, rising to her feet the second she sees me. "I've been waiting for you."
