The first light of sunrise stretched across the broken skyline of San Diego while smoke drifted between shattered towers and ruined streets, and the city that had nearly fallen during the longest night in its history stood wounded yet unbroken beneath a sky that no longer belonged entirely to the world humanity understood. The battle had changed everything. The survivors had changed everything. Elara had changed everything.
She stood upon the remains of an elevated structure overlooking the city while golden light mingled with the pale colors of dawn because hiding had finally become impossible, and for the first time since childhood there was no mask left to wear and no secret left to protect. The world knew her face. The world knew her power. The world knew her name.
