Miri's Pov
I had thought the time in the fortress would feel endless. In reality, it slipped past like a long exhale. Each morning I woke in the fortress' stone-walled rooms, the heavy windows letting in pale streaks of sunlight.
I felt myself getting better. My magic wasn't just "restored" — it was strengthened, refined, steadier than I had ever felt it. Each time I called to it, it hummed through me like a living thing, sharp and responsive. For the first time in weeks, I wasn't afraid of breaking apart when I cast a spell.
