Chapter 203

*Elora*

I woke to the sound of nothing. Not the kind of silence that came with sleep, but the kind that follows a scream. A quiet so deep it rang in my ears.

My chest rose and fell slowly, each breath tasting like ash and salt. My eyes blinked open, and the ceiling above me blurred before settling into shape. Stone. Familiar. The Aethel-Bulwark.

I was back.

For a moment, I didn’t move. I lay still