Chapter 167

CHAPTER 11… VALENTINA The silver glow on the horizon wouldn’t stop throbbing. Even after Luciano drifted back into sleep, even after Andres squeezed my hand and whispered he would stay by my side, even after Czer’s growl faded into the cold night… the light stayed, as though it had a vow to fulfill. The forest had gone quiet — unnaturally quiet. No insects, no wind. Even the trees seemed afraid to rustle. It felt as though we hadn’t just stepped out of the Rift Plane… but brought a piece of it back with us. Luciano lay wrapped in my arms, small but unbearably heavy— not in weight but in meaning. His aura still flickered in faint pulses, almost in rhythm with that distant glow. I stroked his hair. “You’re safe,” I whispered, more to myself than to him. But the words felt fragile even to my ears. My gaze drifted toward Andres. He stood at the edge of the ridge, staring toward the Moonwell’s light. His shoulders were tense, jaw set… but his eyes—something in him was unraveling. I could fe