Grace POV

Laf's words hang in the air like a judgment already passed.

"Aurorawisp has already fallen apart," he continues, voice carrying that authoritative tone that brooks no argument. "It was Stellarnight that gave you shelter. Gave you a place to exist. A merger should naturally take Stellarnight's name. Complete absorption. That's how it's always been done."

The word "absorption" hits like a physical blow. The same word Damien used. The same erasure my ...