Night deepened.
And with every passing hour—
the palace of Nacrifa seemed to sink further into unease.
The storm outside had begun sometime after midnight.
No rain.
Only thunder.
Low.
Distant.
Like the sky itself was growling in its sleep.
Inside the royal chambers, shadows stretched long across the walls, swallowing candlelight little by little until the room felt less like a place for rest—
and more like a sealed tomb.
At the center of it all—
Sebastian still had not awakened.
The hours had become unbearable for Aliena.
Every minute felt heavier than the last.
She remained seated near the edge of the bed, exhaustion slowly sinking into her bones, but sleep refused to come near her.
Not while he looked like this.
Not while she remembered the blood.
The collapse.
The sound his body made when her power struck him.
Even now—
the memory haunted her.
Her gaze lingered on his face.
Too pale.
Too still.
