Elysiel was alone in the clearing when she felt the wave of energy ripple through the air. A familiar presence—dark and powerful, yet strangely comforting—enveloped her senses, like a distant echo she would always recognize. She stopped, her heart racing in her chest, her hands trembling. Seraphis was here. She didn't know how, but she knew. The connection between them had never completely disappeared, no matter how hard she had tried to sever it, to erase the trace of everything he represented.
Elysiel narrowed her eyes and took a deep breath, preparing herself for the confrontation. He dared to return, after everything that had happened. After nearly destroying the kingdom, nearly destroying her. Anger and confusion boiled inside her, mixed with an emotion she refused to name. But as much as her mind was at war, something deep inside her longed to see him again. The weight of her conflicting emotions made her unstable, but she couldn't give in.
