From the Ashes of His Empire

The Call

Author: Aeliana Thorne

The Call

Viviana's POV

I didn’t really sleep.

I drifted in and out of shallow, fractured dreams, each one ending with the same image — a headline burning against a white screen.

Engagement Confirmed.

When I opened my eyes, the room was washed in pale grey morning light. The sea outside was restless, waves crashing against rock with a rhythm that felt almost cruel in its normalcy.

For a few seconds, I lay