Chapter 22: After the Ashes

The sun rose cautiously over Silver Hollow, casting soft gold light over the wreckage of the forest. The manor stood like a bruised sentinel, its walls scarred but intact, the scent of blood and smoke still lingering in the air. Lucien woke to the sound of birdsong. It was the first time he’d heard it in months. He blinked against the soft light filtering through the curtains, his body aching, every muscle stiff and sore. But the weight he’d carried — the constant pressure of the Hollow’s grip — was gone. He was still. Whole. Alive. Serena was asleep against his chest, her fingers curled around his shirt, her breathing slow and even. Lucien watched her, memorizing every detail — the freckles scattered across her nose, the way her lashes fluttered when she dreamed, the faint scar along her collarbone from a battle long forgotten. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, his chest tightening. She’d saved him. Again. Serena stirred, her eyes fluttering open, and the second she saw hi