C489 A PEACE BOUGHT WITH FEAR

"Wake up, Julian, the world hasn't ended yet," Lyra said, her voice a mix of amusement and genuine worry as she knelt beside the fallen mortal boy. She fanned his face with her hand, her blue eyes scanning his pale features. The sapphire light of her power flickered at her fingertips, a soft hum of energy that seemed to stir the grass beneath them.

High above on the balcony