[Lavinia's POV—Dawnspire Wing—Moments After Luke Leaves]
The door closed.
Softly. Carefully.
As if General Luke feared the sound of it echoing too loudly—feared what truth might spill if it did.
I remained standing where I was, staring at the space he had occupied only moments ago. The air still felt tight. Pressurized. Like the room itself had overheard something it was never meant to know.
A father.
A son.
A lie old enough to rot kingdoms from the inside.
I exhaled slowly and lifted a hand to my temple.
"So that's it," I murmured. "That's the knot the empire tried to bury."
Behind the door, I could sense him—Haldor. Still standing guard. Still unaware that his life had just tilted on its axis.
Good.
Not yet.
I straightened, smoothing my gown, reclaiming the calm that power demanded. Whatever storm was coming, I would not let it reach him unarmed.
I crossed the chamber and opened the door of the balcony, because I know that idiot is somewhere around here, listening.
