The day the demon died, a breeze passed through the Sapphire Isles.
Soft. Still.
And in her bed, wrapped in silk and worry,
Liora Kestra stirred.
The mark on her face—
The curse written in fire since birth—
Was gone.
No flare.
No ache.
Just… gone.
She woke the next morning feeling strange.
Lighter.
As if her skin had never burned.
As if her name had never been whispered by the healers in fear.
She didn't understand why.
No one did.
But one person came to mind.
Livar still hadn't woken.
Not yet.
Not until the fifth morning.
He opened his eyes slowly, staring at the ceiling without a word.
He sat up.
Bruised. Tired.
But alive.
He walked out alone. Quiet.
And found the sword.
Liora found him training in the garden, beneath gray light.
He didn't see her at first.
She took a step forward.
"You're awake."
He paused, breathing slow.
"Yeah."
"What happened?"
A long silence.
Then—
"Fell down some stairs," he muttered.
She crossed her arms.
"Liar."
He smiled faintly.
"Maybe."
She hesitated.
"The mark… it's gone."
"I saw," he said, nodding.
"You saw it happen?"
"I hoped it would."
She stepped closer.
"Did you do something?"
"I fell down some very dangerous stairs," he said dryly.
She rolled her eyes.
"You're impossible."
"You're still a little girl," he said with a smirk.
She scowled.
"We're the same age!"
"Doesn't mean you're not smaller."
They walked together after that.
Not far.
Just along the outer path of the garden.
And though he still teased her—still called her little girl—
He wasn't cold.
His voice was softer.
His steps slower.
He listened.
That night, she watched him from the balcony.
Livar trained harder than she'd ever seen.
He didn't stop.
Hours passed.
And when she asked him why, he didn't look up.
He just said—
"Because I don't want to lose again, little girl."
End of Chapter 28 – After the Mark Faded