Chapter 123

• The air in the sacred chamber was heavy with anticipation. My footsteps echoed on the stone floor as I walked toward the center of the room, my heart racing in my chest. This was it—the final Luna trial. Everything I had fought for, everything I had endured, had led me to this moment. But I wasn’t prepared for the weight of it, the crushing pressure of what was at stake.
• "You’ve got this," Rose said quietly from beside me. Her voice was soft, free of the usual bite that accompanied our exchanges. Ever since the battle with the traitor, she had changed. Maybe it was seeing Eli hurt, or maybe it was the realization that we were all in this together. Either way, Rose was standing by me now, for the first time in years, and that meant more than I could put into words.
• I gave her a small nod, grateful for her presence, even though fear gripped my chest like a vise.