Chapter 350 Chapter 349: Familiar Paths, Unfamiliar Ground Brynhild turned fully toward Sophia, her movements careful but far less restrained than they had been days ago. There was color in her face now, strength returning to her limbs in a way that couldn’t be faked. “I’m healing fast,” Brynhild said,
Chapter 349 Chapter 348: Quiet Fires and Soft Cries Sophia stood where she was for a moment after Orion left, staring at the door as if he might open it again, cloak swinging back over his shoulder, that familiar half-smile on his face. But the quiet remained, stretching thin and
Chapter 348 Chapter 347: Promises Made in Quiet Spaces Sophia frowned. “What if it’s something I can handle p> Orion sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. “I knew you were going to say that p> Sophia wasn’t one to give up without trying, and that was another thing that
Chapter 347 Chapter 346: Eleven Heads and Heavy Truths Sophia stared at Orion for a long moment, her brows knitting together in disbelief. “Do you… even know how to count?” she asked slowly, suspicion thick in her voice. “There are ten people on the council p> Orion blinked once. Then
Chapter 346 Chapter 345: Perhaps The Shrine Holds Answers p> Sophia stared at the last word she had written—The Shrine—as though it might rearrange itself if she looked long enough. The ink was still dark, the page faintly rough beneath her fingertips. “I don’t know if the shrine is linked
Chapter 345 Chapter 344: When Dreams Bear Witness Orion’s gaze lingered on the word Sophia had just written: Dreams. The way it sat on the page, stark and simple, made the air between them feel heavier. There was weight in that word, in everything it implied—possibilities, fears, and unspoken truths
Chapter 344 Chapter 343: Mapping the Shadows The door clicked shut behind Sophia, the sound a small punctuation that separated the outside world from the quiet tension of Orion’s home. She leaned against it for a heartbeat, letting the solid wood reassure her—a simple barrier that meant she was finally
Chapter 343 Chapter 342: The Weight of What Was Avoided Orion handed Sophia a cup of water without another word. She took it with both hands, fingers still trembling, and drank like she had been wandering a desert. Water spilled down her chin as she gulped, barely pausing for breath
Chapter 342 Chapter 341: The Weight of Missing Books She sank onto the floor and covered her face with her hands, fingers digging into her hair as she fought to slow her breathing. In. Out. In. Out. She moved to the bathroom and even checked the tub. She checked everywhere—even
Chapter 341 Chapter 340: When Stone Watches Back Eldric stared at Sophia as if she might fracture if he breathed too loudly. She stood near the altar, shoulders tense, chest rising and falling too quickly, as though the shrine had stolen the air from her lungs and forgotten to give
Chapter 340 Chapter 339: The Questions He Refuses to Ask Orion was halfway to the office when the silence finally cracked. It was not the normal kind of quiet that descended upon pack grounds—no, this had more to do with him than the pack itself. The kind that pressed against
Chapter 339 Chapter 338: Eyes Behind Stone The shrine was quiet, almost reverent, but alive beneath the frozen air. Sunlight filtered through the opening just above the altar, casting light on it, the writings reflecting the glow. Sophia took her position next to the altar, where she had been before,
Chapter 338 Chapter 337: Promises Made in Falling Snow While Sophia and Eldric were making their way to the shrine, Orion was in the office. He was making preparations with Garron and some others regarding the placement test that was coming up. He hoped Sophia had taken the herbs he
Chapter 337 Chapter 336: When Stones Begin to Whisper Sophia stared at Eldric for a long moment, the words we need to go to the shrine still echoing faintly in her ears. Then she sighed. Not the sharp, irritated kind—but the deep, bone-weary sigh of someone whose body had already
Chapter 336 Chapter 335: Words Sharper Than Blades Joren’s stomach chose that exact moment to betray him. The sound was loud. Offensively loud. The others froze for half a second before bursting into laughter. Joren flushed instantly. “I have been training for hours,” he protested weakly. “My stomach has rights
Chapter 335 Chapter 334: The Weight of What We Choose Sophia sat up abruptly, the movement sharp enough that it drew everyone’s attention back to her. “No,” she said, looking straight at Micah. “I understand your fear. I really do. But you’re already setting yourself up to fail, and I
Chapter 334 Chapter 333: Quiet Fears Beneath Loud Steel Nia bumped her shoulder into Sophia’s with a grin so wide it almost hurt to look at. Sophia staggered half a step, more from exhaustion than the shove itself, and shot her a look. “What was that for p> Nia gestured
Chapter 333 Chapter 332: Steel, Breath, and Blood-Knowledge The clang of steel rang through the training grounds, sharp and clean. Trainees trained against each other, focused on their training in particular. Nia sparred against Micah, and she fought hard to hold her own against him. Cat trained with Joren, while
Chapter 332 Chapter 331: Delusions Beneath the Canopy One would think that after what had happened in the office with Orion, perhaps Holly would have had a change of heart towards Sophia—but that was not the case. By showing her the hickey on his neck, Orion had let Holly know
Chapter 331 Chapter 330: Omens Written And Drawn Eldric stood in the corner of his home, waiting patiently to see if Orion would come knocking again. Thankfully, for the past three days, that hadn’t happened. He had to avoid Orion at all costs, which was why he was hiding under