POV: SELENE

Months had passed since the battle, and for the first time in a long while, Lunaria was beginning to feel alive again.

Winter had given way to spring. Snow melted from the mountain paths, streams filled with clear water, and flowers covered the palace gardens with bright colors. Across the capital, wolves repaired broken homes, reopened their shops, and slowly returned to the lives they had feared they would never have again.

I walked through the main street, watching them.

Children chased one another between the houses while merchants arranged their goods outside their shops. Warriors trained in the courtyard, their weapons moving through the morning light.

Peace...