As if the storm had passed, the world around Marissa lay in ruin—scorched earth, splintered trees, and blood smeared across the rocks like forgotten warnings.
Smoke curled from the shattered remains of what once was. Yet, none of it came close to the devastation within her. The silence outside only mirrored the hollowness inside.
She stood trembling, barely able to breathe. Her body still radiated power, yet her soul felt fractured. Magnus once had warned her that this identity- this rebirth- was temporary. A mask to serve a greater purpose. And yet…
Why did it feel so real?
Why did it hurt so much?
Her vision blurred as blood pooled at the corners of her eyes, leaking like crimson tears. She whispered with a voice barely above the wind, "Darn it..."
And with that, she turned her back on the battlefield.
