Maya's POV
The first thing Maya noticed when Derek was gone was how much easier she could breathe.
It was a terrible realization. That losing her brother meant gaining clarity. That betrayal could feel like relief.
But there was no time to process that. The Territory War was escalating. Elias was pushing hard. The other kingdoms were collapsing. And Kaden was recovering from Nina's blast faster than anyone expected.
The medical team said his body was adapting to the Wastes. Evolving. Becoming something stronger than human.
Maya sat with him in the war room on the third night after Derek left.
"Tell me everything," she said. "No more protecting me. No more holding back. Tell me the whole plan."
Kaden was quiet for a moment. Then he pulled up the files.
"If we win the Territory War," he said slowly, "the Sovereigns will offer me ascension. To finalize the ascension, they require a ritual sacrifice."
"A sacrifice of what?"
