[Lavinia's POV—Hours After the Victory—Inside the Black Wall Fortress]
Smoke clung to the air—thin, metallic, and laced with the bitter scent of extinguished fire and fresh blood. The Black Wall had fallen, but it was not silent. Not yet.
Boots thudded along the stone corridors as Elorian soldiers swept the fortress, dragging out hidden Meren fighters, securing armories, and inspecting tunnels. The fortress groaned with the aftermath of battle—rustling banners, clattering equipment, and the occasional groan from wounded captives.
I walked through the main hall—my hall now—my footsteps echoing off stone carved centuries before my birth.
A messenger rushed to me, panting. "Your Highness… the prisoners have been secured. We found twenty-seven Meren soldiers hiding beneath the lower barracks."
"Good," I said. "Send them to the central courtyard. I'll deal with them shortly."
The man huffed and saluted. "Y-Yes, Your Highness!"
