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Chapter 44: A Fractured Return

Author: Nnenna
last update Last Updated: 2025-02-22 18:48:12

The sanctum’s ruins stood silent, yet the air crackled with the tension of an impending storm.

Lena’s heart pounded against her ribs as she locked eyes with Selene.

The Shadow Queen was battered, her silver hair streaked with blood, and her dark armour cracked from the earlier battle. But the power rolling off her was still suffocating. The Rift had wounded her, but it hadn’t broken her.

And the way she looked at them now—

Pure, unrestrained fury.

“Miss me?” Selene’s voice was smooth, almost amused, but there was a darkness beneath it. A promise of retribution.

Cassian stepped forward, his silver sword gleaming in the fractured light. “You lost, Selene.” His voice was calm, but his stance was rigid, ready. “Stand down.”

Selene chuckled—a low, unsettling sound. “Lost?” She tilted her head, her violet eyes flashing. “You think this is over?”

Dark energy crackled at her fingertips, the air bending and warping around her.

Lena’s fingers twitched toward her own blade. “We sent you through
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