By the time the ships hit the shore, the sky had turned the color of blood and burnt paper.
They didn’t shout or charge.
They simply walked forward—silent, deliberate, faces masked with runes.
We met them halfway.
Astraea raised an ice wall that shattered on impact. Yuria launched from the sky like thunder incarnate. Valmira bound the first battalion in chains of ink.
And I?
I called down fire with no spell.
It came from memory.
From pain.
From love.
Lilith stood at my side, hand gripping mine like a lifeline.
"This is the first real battle," she said.
"No," I whispered.
"This is the first time we’re ready."