The first rays of dawn spilled across the horizon, tinting the castle’s spires in shades of gold and rose. The world outside was waking — the guards changing posts, the scent of freshly baked bread wafting through the corridors — yet inside the royal bedchambers, River sat on the edge of a couch, still pale from the night’s vision and revelation.
Her fingers absently brushed the faint dew that still clung to her skin, a reminder that the dream — or whatever it had been — was not just her imagination. She had felt the cold wind, the snow, the power of the Blood Moon, and most of all… her mother.
The door creaked softly behind her, and Heiko stepped inside. He was shirtless, his hair tousled, eyes shadowed with exhaustion and concern.
“River,” he said, his voice low. “You weren’t in bed w
