Chapter 22

Sophia

I have never known my mother, nor do I have any idea how she looked apart from the knowledge that she had beautiful long hair. But when I was around five years old, I had a dream.

In that dream, I heard a woman's voice whose face I couldn't see. She told me something... something that has stayed with me since then.

"True power lies in being connected to your roots."

I don't know who that voice was, but my heart tells me that it was my mother.

I always felt a pull towards our rituals, which were performed by our ancestors, the rituals that are vanishing with time. It hurts me to think that soon a day will come when no one will be aware of our roots, our traditions.

These are not mere rituals; they are our connection with our past.

So when Mikhail ordered me to attend the warriors' burial, I knew I had to give them the respect they deserved. They died while protecting their people, and they deserve the burial of a true warrior.

When everyone was at the clearing, I prep