Chapter 129: Chapter 129: Tempest on the Horizon

The morning sun filtered through the small window of the cottage, casting warm, golden light over the room where Ethan lay asleep. For the first time in what felt like forever, he woke up feeling rested, the heaviness of past battles lifting from his shoulders. The quiet of the village, punctuated by the distant sounds of daily life beginning to stir, was a welcome change from the tension-filled days they had endured.

He stretched, savoring the moment of peace before his mind inevitably began to churn with thoughts of the future. The destruction of the Heart had been a monumental victory, but it was only one part of a much larger picture. The balance of magic in the world had been disrupted, and the consequences of that shift were still unknown.