~LUCIAN'S POV
I walked through the corridor toward Zephyrus' chamber with unhurried steps.
The palace had returned to its usual quiet, yet it did nothing to ease the weight that had been building over the past few days.
Dove had not woken.
She remained where Alaric had placed her, unmoving against the bed in his chambers, her body still and unresponsive no matter how many times the physician checked on her or how often one of us stood at her side waiting for some sign that she would return to us.
Each time I saw her, it felt wrong in a way I could not ignore, not because she was injured, but because she no longer looked like herself.
Her face had lost all color, the faint warmth that used to rest there had been replaced by something far too pale, far too distant, and no matter how long I stood there, waiting, there was no change.
It made it difficult not to remember the first time she met us.
