More flowers were placed as the caskets were lowered into the graves, disappearing into the cold earth that would forever hold them. Crescentia stood still, her body trembling with exhaustion. She had cried until no more tears would come, yet an ache remained—a deep, hollow pain that refused to leave.
Her parents were gone. Dead and buried.
The final handful of red sand was tossed over the graves, signaling the end of the ceremony. People murmured their final goodbyes, some with genuine grief, others with barely veiled satisfaction. Crescentia clenched her fists at her sides, nails digging into her palms as she reminded herself to stay strong. Her enemies were watching, waiting for her to break. But she wouldn't give them that satisfaction.
Not today. Not ever.
She inhaled shakily, willing her emotions back into the depths of her heart. Just as she wiped at her damp cheeks, a voice broke through the thick air around her.
