The Sunfire Suite within the Shadowfall Fortress was warm, bathed in golden morning light that filtered through high, arched glass windows overlooking the glacial valley below.
Nora sat on the edge of her plush bed, swinging her legs back and forth as she carefully applied watercolor paint to a large sketchpad. Her cheeks were full and rosy, her laughter ringing softly across the room whenever she dipped her brush into the water. Seeing her so vibrant—so entirely untethered from the agony that had consumed her just days ago—felt like a miraculous dream I never wanted to wake up from.
A quiet knock echoed at the chamber doors, and two attendants stepped aside to allow Lord Malakor into the room.
He was dressed in dark velvet tailored attire, his posture effortless yet commanding. He offe
