★Nuel's POV★
I stood at the bank of the river, unmoving, my eyes fixed on my mother. The moonlight shimmered over the restless waves, painting her in silver and sorrow. She was no longer dancing; the soft rhythm of her steps and the low hum of her ritual songs had faded into silence. Now she simply stood there—still, quiet, her gaze locked on the water as if it held every answer she'd ever sought.
Then, from the shadows, another woman appeared beside her. She moved slowly, almost reverently, until she was standing shoulder to shoulder with my mother. I couldn't hear their words, if they spoke at all, but there was something heavy—something sacred—in the air between them.
A sound behind me made me turn.
Footsteps.
Eryndor was returning. The sight of him made my chest tighten for reasons I couldn't explain. But it wasn't just him—walking beside him was Nolan, my wolf.
Only… something was different.
