Chapter 72 — Dawn After the Storm
The morning after the Battle of Threefold Convergence broke soft and golden over the Obsidian Throne.
For the first time in months, no war horns sounded. No urgent messengers hammered at the doors. The largest rift in the distance had contracted slightly, its hungry pulse subdued to a low, simmering glow. The kingdom breathed.
Cairis woke first.
He lay on his side, one arm draped possessively over Liora's waist, watching the slow rise and fall of her chest. The scars from the recent battles stood out starkly against his skin, but the worst of them had begun to knit thanks to the healers and the lingering power of the Veilheart Keystone. Liora slept deeply beside him, her face finally peaceful, the faint violet glow of hybrid runes on her collarbone pulsing in time with their soul bond.
He brushed a strand of hair from her cheek, careful not to wake her. After weeks of chaos, this quiet felt almost sacred.
