Chapter 563: On the Horizon

Dawn arrived all too quickly, and a gentle shake on my shoulder pulled me from the depths of my soulspace. I had spent the entire night lying beneath the vast expanse of the starry sky, wrestling with the undeniable conclusions that had been thrust upon me. It had been so easy to cloak myself in fear, to keep Luke at arm's length. But now, stripped of my excuses, the fragile tendrils of hope within me dared to unfurl. The part of me that yearned for connection, for trust, could no longer be silenced.

"Xiviyah, wake up." 

R'lissea's gentle voice penetrated my thoughts, causing my eyelids to flutter open. I gazed blankly up at her face, lost in soft green eyes, before everything I witnessed the night before came crashing down. Any lingering remnants of sleep fled as I stiffened, a dark blush warming my face. She would have no idea I'd eavesdropped on what was meant to be a private conversation, but it wasn't so easy to forget their discussion.