Chapter 333 - Ashborne Mourns

The rain began at dawn, as if the heavens themselves had learned of Seraphina's passing and wept for what the world had lost. It fell in soft, persistent sheets across Ashborne, turning the cobblestones to mirrors that reflected the gray sky above. The city's bells had been tolling since the announcement was made at first light—a deep, resonant sound that carried across every district, from the merchant quarters to the poorest slums, from the noble estates to the dockside warehouses. Each toll spoke of finality, of an ending that could not be undone.