The sky over the forest had cleared, revealing the first traces of dawn as the soft light filtered through the branches. The clearing was quiet now, save for the occasional rustle of leaves in the faint breeze. Thorne, Morgana, and Kael sat in silence around the dimming fire, their faces etched with exhaustion and uncertainty. Lyra lay motionless beside them, her chest rising and falling in shallow breaths. She was alive, but only just.
Thorne's gaze remained fixed on Lyra's pale face, his thoughts spinning in an endless loop of worry and guilt. The Keystone had chosen her, but it felt wrong to him that she had to bear the burden alone. The sacrifice had been necessary to stop the convergence, but it had come at a cost none of them had been prepared to pay.
