Seraphina clutched her brother tight while Zander drew his final breaths. The cliff had claimed him during their desperate flight.
Royal warriors pressed close behind, hunting the survivors with ruthless precision, cutting them down without mercy.
The few fighters still loyal to Mordred fought back as they scattered, seeking escape routes.
They'd planned for this moment - knew exactly where to regroup if everything went wrong.
But the rain had turned everything treacherous. Zander lost his footing on the slick rocks and plummeted.
The boy's skull cracked against stone, and his young healing powers couldn't match the devastating injuries. His abilities hadn't matured enough to save him.
"We have to get him to a healer, find someone who can fix this... please," Seraphina pleaded with Mordred, but he stayed silent.
Helena wrapped her arms around the grieving woman. "He's gone. You have to let him go. We can't stay here."
