Recap:
The last battle shook more than just the ground beneath their feet. Jemil was forced to tap into the forbidden core within him for the first time, unleashing a surge of power strong enough to shatter the stranger's composure. Yet, the enemy didn't seem defeated—he vanished, leaving only questions and the sinking feeling that this fight was just the beginning.
The courtyard was still a mess of broken stone and drifting dust. The wives picked their way through the wreckage, their eyes flicking between the damage and Jemil, who sat on a fragment of wall like a man trying to hold himself together with sheer willpower.
Kaela crossed her arms. "You're going to explain what that was. Now."
Her tone wasn't angry—it was the tone of a warrior who'd just watched her captain turn into a walking calamity.
"I will," Jemil said, voice low. "But not here."
