The villa was cloaked in silence, the calm after the storm heavy with the scent of smoke and loss. Elena stood alone in the grand hall, the flicker of candlelight casting long shadows on the marble floor. Victory had come at a cost—friends lost, alliances shattered, and a kingdom still teetering on the edge of chaos.

Her fingers brushed the cold surface of the silver ring on her hand, a symbol of the power she now wielded—and the burden it carried.

Footsteps echoed behind her. Enzo appeared, his expression unreadable but his eyes full of a fierce protectiveness.

“We did what we had to,” he said softly. “But the war...