Ten years had passed since the night the source disappeared.
Ten years since the western tower collapsed.
Ten years since Malachor, the first king, had finally vanished into the dust of the kingdom he had once tried to control.
Ten years since Salvador had stood before the ancient source and made the choice that changed everything.
He could have taken the power.
He could have become immortal.
He could have commanded the magic that had ruled their bloodline for generations.
He could have created a kingdom where no one he loved would ever suffer again.
Instead, he had chosen Ella.
He had chosen freedom.
He had chosen a life that could end.
And somehow, that choice had given him more life than immortality ever could.
The kingdom had changed completely.
The old royal system had been dismantled.
The people no longer lived beneath the fear of a ruler who believed power gave him ownership over their lives.
