The castle grounds felt both heavy and hollow, like a once-grand theatre after the final act. The marble halls no longer rang with judgment, nor with ceremony. Now, only whispers followed them. Shadows stretched long across the stone courtyard, brushing the hem of River’s cloak as she walked beside Heiko, her hand wrapped in his.
Behind them, Queen Alia watched from the steps, regal and still — a quiet guardian bidding farewell not just to two young wolves, but to a chapter that ended in fire and reckoning.
River had already embraced the queen tightly, tears threatening the edges of her eyes. Alia had whispered in her ear:
“The world out there may not understand you, River… but you must. You are more than enough. You are exactly what the Goddess intended. And don’t wait too long to visi
