"Even the strongest soldier breaks when the battle was fought in silence, but healing begins the moment someone is brave enough to hold the pieces."
RIVEN'S POV
The weight of my uniform, the crisp, heavy fabric of the General's jacket, suddenly felt like an intolerable burden. I walked away from the landing field, away from the circle of power that had watched my mother, Elara, ascend into her silent exile. I had maintained absolute control through the farewell, the detached military salute, the cold statement of strategic adherence. My Beta core had performed its duty flawlessly. But the moment the hover-ship became a silent speck in the sky, that control fractured.
