The ruins were behind them, but the weight of what Lyla had done still clung to the air.

The Elders were gone.

Their rule erased.

But power did not disappear.

It waited.

Eli walked beside her, his voice measured. "We burned their empire, but that doesn’t mean we burned their influence."

Jorah’s expression was grim. "Some will still follow their teachings. Some will still believe in their order."

Dani scoffed. "Then we make sure they don’t have the chance to ...