The air outside the Draven mansion had finally calmed. The once-crackling hum of unstable energy faded into silence, leaving only the rustling of the nearby trees. Lea exhaled slowly, exhaustion weighing on her limbs as the last trace of the rift's distortion vanished. The sky was blue again—peaceful, quiet, and whole.
She turned, searching for the small figures she had been most worried about. "Mireya? Maxen?"
The two twins were crouched behind a toppled pillar near the front garden, their little faces pale, eyes wide and glassy from crying. The moment Mireya saw her, she broke into sobs. "Sister Lea!"
Lea barely had time to open her arms before the five-year-old girl crashed into her embrace, followed by Maxen, whose tiny hands clung to her coat like he would never let go. "We were scared," Maxen mumbled, voice trembling. "The big scary thing broke the barrier, and we couldn't find anyone."
