Chapter 79 — Nyxara's Reckoning
The Festival of Embers had ended, but its warmth lingered in the capital like a dying ember refusing to fade.
For nearly a week, the Obsidian Throne and its surrounding districts existed in a rare bubble of fragile peace. Markets stayed open late into the night. Children practiced hybrid magic openly in the squares, their laughter mixing with the crackle of twilight sparks. Servants and nobles alike shared tables during evening feasts, exchanging stories of survival and hope. Liora and Cairis stole every possible moment together — walking through the restored gardens at dusk, sharing quiet meals in their private kitchen, making love under the red-tinged sky with a tenderness born from hard-won peace.
The soul bond between them felt stronger than it had in months — warm, steady, and harmonious. The Veilheart Keystone rested on its pedestal in their chambers, its twilight glow consistent and reassuring.
