Sophia’s POV
The air in the realm felt different after the battle settled down. The energy that pulsed through the vampire realm seemed dulled, weighed down by loss and grief. The rogue faction was defeated, but the victory felt hollow. So much had been sacrificed. Too much.
I stood on the edge of the courtyard, looking out over the horizon. The sun was setting but I barely noticed its beauty. My thoughts were heavy with the weight of everything that had happened. Lyanna was gone. The thought of it felt like a punch to the chest every time it crossed my mind. She had saved us, saved me and our baby, but the cost was her life.
“I can’t believe she’s gone,” I whispered to Ian, who was standing beside me, his hand resting on my shoulder.
Ian’s expression was hard, his jaw clenched as he stared out at the horizon. He hadn’t said much since the battle ended, the stiffness in his body telling me how much he was struggling to keep his emotions in check.
“She was one of the strongest witches I’ve ever known,” Ian said, his voice low, almost as if speaking louder would make the loss more real. “She didn’t deserve this.”
“No, she didn’t.” I turned to face him, searching his face for the emotions he wasn’t showing. “None of us did.”
Ian exhaled heavily, running a hand through his dark hair, the strain evident in every movement. He hadn’t slept since the battle, nor had I. Sleep felt impossible when all I could think about was the people we lost, the danger that still loomed. We’d won the battle, but at what cost?
“I feel like we’ve been through so much already,” I said, my voice catching in my throat. “But now… with Lyanna gone… I’m scared, Ian. I don’t know how we’re supposed to move forward.”
Ian’s eyes softened for the first time in what felt like days. He turned toward me, cupping my face in his hands. “We’re gonna find a way, Sophia. We always do.”
I nodded, trying to take comfort in his words, but the fear wouldn’t leave. It lingered in the pit of my stomach. The rogue vampires were gone. The werewolves and Mike and his allies were gone but the damage they had caused was far from over.
The realm had taken the brunt of the attack. Entire sections of the palace were destroyed, and the council’s power had been fractured. Trust was broken, and without Lyanna’s support and advice, I didn’t know how we would rebuild.
“I keep thinking about what she said,” I murmured, my eyes blurring with unshed tears. “Lyanna said she protected me and the baby… that she did what she had to do. But I can’t help feeling guilty. Like her sacrifice was because of me.”
Ian’s hands tightened on my shoulders, his expression darkening. “Don’t you dare blame yourself, Sophia. Lyanna made her choice. She knew what she was doing, and she chose to protect us because she believed in our future. She believed in you.”
“I know, but—” My voice cracked, the weight of my guilt too much to hold back. “It’s just so hard to accept that she’s gone. I feel like a part of me died with her.”
Ian pulled me into his arms, holding me tight against his chest. His heartbeat was steady, calming me. For a few seconds, I let myself melt into him, taking comfort in the warmth of his body.
“We’ll mourn her,” Ian said softly, his voice quiet. “And we’ll honor her by living. By protecting this realm, our family, and everything she fought for. That’s what she would have wanted.”
I closed my eyes, letting the tears fall silently. Ian was right. Lyanna wouldn’t want me to crumble under the weight of her sacrifice. She’d want me to stand tall, to fight for the future she’d believed in and sacrificed herself for.
As I pulled away, wiping my eyes, Jacob and Jenny approached us, their expressions grim. Jenny’s eyes were red from crying, and she clutched Jacob’s hand tightly as they walked toward us.
“She really did it, didn’t she?” Jenny asked, her voice trembling. “Lyanna saved us all.”
“She did,” I whispered, my throat tight.
Jacob was silent, his usual stoic demeanor softened by the grief in his eyes. He had been close to Lyanna too, and I knew he was taking her death hard. We all were.
“I keep thinking that if I’d been stronger, I could have done something to help,” Jacob muttered, his gaze fixed on the ground. “But I wasn’t… and now she’s gone.”
“It’s not your fault,” Ian said firmly. “None of this is your fault, Jacob. Lyanna made her choice, and she wouldn’t want any of us to carry this guilt.”
Jacob nodded, but his expression remained tense. He didn’t believe Ian’s words any more than I believed mine. Guilt was a burden we all carried now.
“We need to have a memorial for her,” I said quietly. “Something to honor her, to let everyone know what she did for us.”
Ian nodded, his eyes distant. “We’ll make sure she’s remembered.”
The four of us stood there in silence for a while. We were supposed to be celebrating. The realm had won, but it didn’t feel like a victory. We had lost too much to celebrate.
“We should head back,” Jenny said softly, her voice shaky. “There are still so many people to check on, and the damage… there’s so much to do.”
I nodded, though my body felt heavy, my limbs aching from exhaustion. I didn’t want to move, didn’t want to face the reality of the aftermath. But I had no choice. There was work to be done, and we couldn’t afford to fall apart.
As we turned to leave, I caught a glimpse of the sky, the last rays of sunlight disappearing behind the horizon. The darkness seemed fitting.
But as I looked closer, I saw something else. A single star, bright and unwavering, shining through the darkness.
Maybe it was a sign. Maybe it was Lyanna, watching over us, reminding us that even in the darkest moments, there was still light. Still hope.
“I’ll miss her,” Jenny whispered beside me, her hand gripping mine.
“Me too,” I said softly, my eyes still on the star. “Me too.”
As we made our way back to the palace, I felt the heaviness of her death in my bones, but I had accepted it. We would mourn Lyanna, but we wouldn’t let her sacrifice be in vain.
The realm needed rebuilding, and so did our lives. We had to move forward, no matter how hard it was. For Lyanna. For the future she believed in. And for the child growing inside me, who would one day inherit this realm and all its burdens.
We had to live.
For Lyanna. For our family.
For the future.