The elders tried to stop him, muttering about “rules” and “sacred boundaries,” but Heiko growled low, dangerously, and they fell silent. None dared provoke the prince now—not when his aura was radiating with such volatile, primal fury.
He scooped her up from the water, her body limp, light droplets clinging to her skin, her face pale and serene like an angel fallen into slumber.
But she was alive. He could feel her faint pulse.
And glowing.
Faint, soft pulses of white light still shimmered from her skin, dimming slowly like dying stardust.
Heiko’s breath hitched. His hands tightened around her as he whispered, “You did it... You survived.”
From across the room, Queen Lana’s mask finally broke: her eyes wide, lips parted.
Shock.
And fear.
Because what she had just witnessed… should
