Chapter 123
Ariana didn't feel the moment she left, but she knew it had happened the second she opened her eyes. The air was warmer here, steady in a way that didn't belong to the outside world, and it settled against her skin like something meant to keep her grounded. For a moment, she stayed still, letting the familiarity settle before she fully took it in.
The ceiling above her was carved from pale stone veined with gold, but this time she noticed the difference immediately. Fine fractures ran along parts of it, thin but unmistakable, and the glow from the crystal lanterns wasn't as even as before, flickering just slightly in places where it had once been perfect. It was the same room, but it no longer felt untouched.
Aurelith.
The name came to her without resistance now, but it didn't carry the same weight it once had. It felt heavier, layered with something she hadn't understood before.
