>>Ariston
The air was thick with the scent of blood and fire. The echoes of dying roars still lingered as I sprinted through the halls of the palace, back toward the isolated wing.
As I reached the heavy metal door again, I hesitated for just a breath.
Then I pushed it open.
The hinges groaned, loud and unwilling. The sight on the other side made me still.
Aelin lay slumped on the floor, her small form curled and unmoving beneath the fractured light streaming in through the ruined window. The curtains fluttered like torn banners behind her. Cracks split across the floor. Black blood stained the tiles around her.
But no monsters.
None.
Just her.
Alone in the chaos.
I took a slow step forward, eyes sweeping the room. The cores had been shattered—holy magic residue lingered in the air, warm and dense. My lips pulled into a slow smile.
She did it.
Aelin, the little human princess, had stood her ground and won.
