Chapter 293 Echoes Of War

• The quiet that followed the defeat of the Queen’s agent was deceptive. As the dust settled and the group caught their breath, a heavy weight settled on their shoulders. The Heartstone pulsed faintly in Ariella’s hands, its power lingering, but now there was a sense of foreboding in the air. The battle against the agent was just one piece of a much larger puzzle—and the Queen’s wrath would not be so easily quelled.
• “We should move,” Kaelen said, his voice low and urgent. “This victory won’t go unnoticed. The Queen won’t stop until she has what she wants.”
• Ariella nodded, though she felt the weight of exhaustion settling over her. She had never wielded this much power before, and while she had triumphed in the moment, the burden of the Heartstone felt heavier than ever.