The night lingered, deepening as silence settled heavily around them, as if the world had paused to listen.
The three moons slowly ascended across the sky, their pale light casting soft layers over the half-ruined Guild grounds, blurring the line between destruction and rebirth.
From their vantage point, Sage and Valeria watched the reconstruction efforts below, shadows frozen in time: unfinished scaffolds, stacked timber, and scattered tools left behind by those too exhausted to continue.
It was remarkable how quickly the battlefield had transformed. Just days ago, it had been filled with screams and explosions; now it lay still, fragile and uncertain like a breath held too long.
Neither of them moved for a while after Sage spoke about his sister. The weight of that confession hung between them not oppressive but profound, as if it had shifted something invisible in the air.
