Once the decision was made, Jay didn't delay, not even for a breath.
He gave Liv one last embrace, pressed a lingering kiss to the side of her head as if memorizing her warmth, then straightened and bowed to his parents. Without ceremony, without hesitation, he turned and walked toward his horse.
There was no farewell speech, no dramatic pause.
Only urgency… and duty.
The morning air was still cold when the sharp sound of hooves echoed through the courtyard. Liv watched him ride away, faster and farther, until his silhouette became nothing more than a blur swallowed by distance.
When the last echo of galloping faded, silence rushed in, heavy and suffocating.
Grand Duke was the first to speak.
"Alright," he said quietly, though authority threaded through every syllable. "We need to prepare."
Liv and the Grand Duchess turned toward him.
"We cannot stay here long," he continued. "With the barrier fractured, panic will spread, and panic brings opportunists."
