"Never thought I'd live to see a sky this clear again," Lira murmured, watching the horizon where faint streaks of purple lingered.
Seraphine gave a faint smile. "After walking through that abyss, even the sound of crickets feels like a gift."
Mirielle nodded quietly beside her, her hands wrapped around her knees. "It almost feels unreal," she said in a soft voice. "We stepped out of a nightmare and found the world again."
The empress looked at the flickering fire, her expression unreadable. "Do not get too comfortable," she said after a moment. "The nightmare is not over. We only left one behind." Her tone was calm, but there was a weight in her words that pressed on all of them.
Nyx poked at the fire with a stick. "Then let us at least eat, we survived something. You'll have time to lecture us later," she said lightly, a small grin tugging at her lips. Her words drew a few quiet chuckles, even from the loyalists at the other fire.
