The decree spread like wildfire across the land, and though there were cries of outrage and defiance from the remnants of Rufus’s loyalists, it was a hollow noise, without the strength or leadership to back it, and soon even that died away, swallowed by the new reality.
Back home, when Markus returned and gathered his family to tell them the news, there was no celebration, no victory cries, only a deep, settling sense of finality. Raya listened quietly, a slight nod of acknowledgment her only reaction, though deep inside, she felt something uncoil within her, a deep, gnawing fear that she hadn’t even realized she was still carrying.
The monster was dead. His kingdom was dead. And the nightmare was finally, truly over.
--
The morning light filtered gently through the heavy curtains, cas
