Aria’s POV…..

The battlefield hadn’t gone quiet.

Not really.

Even after Serena’s ashes scattered into the wind, the war still roared around us—steel clashing, wolves howling, magic tearing the earth apart. But in the space between Kaelen and me, there was a silence so sharp it hurt more than any wound I carried.

I felt it before I understood it.

The bond… twisted. Tightened. Pulled.

Kaelen stiffened behind me.

I turned, already reaching for him, already ready to ...