With a deep, resonant groan that echoed through the vaulted chamber like the breath of a slumbering giant, the twin doors of the sacred hall creaked open. The sound rolled across the marble floor and up the ancient pillars, stirring the air like a whisper from the past.
Alexander stepped inside with measured grace, flanked by two other fairies—his kin in blood and banner—while behind them strode Omar and ten of the Scarlett Knights, their armored steps beating a steady rhythm into the silence like the drum of fate approaching.
Yet as Alexander's boots met the polished stone, his world tilted.
There, upon the elevated dais, seated like a figure from legend, was a woman who shattered all memory of beauty he had ever known. His breath caught.
She was divine.
