With that, Mira vanished in a puff of black smoke, leaving Seraphina and Zahra alone amidst the ruins. The two women looked at each other, a mix of worry and determination etched on their faces.
"We should get started," Zahra said finally, breaking the silence. "The sooner we fortify this place, the better."
Seraphina nodded in agreement. "And I'll send word to our allies," she added. "We'll need every ablebodied fighter and mage if we're going to take on Elara."
As they set to work, the air crackled with an electric energy—the spark of a rebellion igniting in the heart of Elarion. The battle for Zephyr's fate had begun.
As the hours passed and the work on the fortress progressed, Seraphina found herself increasingly distracted by thoughts of Zahra. The way her muscles rippled beneath her sweatslicked skin, the determined set of her jaw, the fire in her eyes—it was all driving Seraphina to distraction.
