The Council's decree still echoed in my mind, their voices lingering like ghosts in the hollow chambers of my thoughts. You must master the Codex, or you will not be strong enough to face what lies ahead. The words had settled into my bones, heavier than any burden I had carried before. It wasn't a request—it was an ultimatum. And so, I had no choice but to leave.
I stood at the edge of the city, the weight of my decision pressing down on me. The sprawling expanse of the capital stretched behind me, its towering spires and winding streets now a world apart. This was my home, the place where I had grown into the woman I was today. Yet, I had to abandon it in search of something greater, something I didn't yet understand.
