PROLOGUE — THE FIRE AND THE FALL
Flames painted the night red.
Sirens screamed across the mountain, metal collapsing under the weight of its own destruction.
Sebastian held Isabella close as they stumbled through the tunnel's ruins smoke thick, alarms echoing like a heartbeat. Every step hurt, but neither looked back.
Behind them, Evelyn's empire burned.
And above the roar of fire, a child cried.
ISABELLA — THE BREATH AFTER HELL
The cold hit her like a slap when they broke into the open air.
Rain fell again, heavy and cleansing, washing blood and ash from her face. Her lungs burned as she clutched Ava tighter against her chest.
Sebastian's arm wrapped around her shoulders, half-guiding, half-dragging her through the darkness until they reached the tree line. He was limping, bleeding from a wound at his side, but he didn't stop.
They collapsed behind a boulder, the forest thick around them.
For the first time in hours, the world went still except for Ava's soft whimpers.
