Chapter 15: A New Dawn

The dust of the shattered throne settled like black snow upon the dais. The grand hall was a wreckage of toppled braziers, scorched tapestries, and groaning bodies. The clatter of steel had ceased, replaced by a ringing silence, thick with shock and the metallic tang of blood and spent magic. Lilian stood amidst the ruins of her power, her fine gown smudged, her silver hair in disarray. The furious light in her eyes had been extinguished, replaced by a hollow, disbelieving stare. She was not...