[Osric's POV—Imperial City Streets—Later]
"Huff… huff…"
My breath came out in sharp bursts, white against the cold night air. The streets blurred past me—stone, shadow, and flickering lamplight merging into a dizzying rush. I didn't think. I didn't stop.
Fear clawed at my chest, raw and suffocating.
I didn't even bother to change. I was still in my nightshirt, boots half-fastened, and my hair disheveled. None of it mattered. The only thought pounding through my head—over and over—was her name.
Lavi.
My legs screamed, but I didn't care. The palace was far—too far—and still, I ran like a man being chased by death itself. Solena soared above me, wings slicing through the night. Her cries were sharp, urgent, and desperate.
"Please," I muttered under my breath, "please, let her be all right."
And then—
"—My lord!"
