The skies above Mars and Jupiter had never been so still.
For the first time in years, the storms that had raged like wounded gods had softened into gentle currents of wind and light. Ash no longer choked the ridges, and the molten rivers of Io pulsed calmly, their veins glowing faintly, no longer thrashing under the weight of war.
Selene stood upon the high terrace of her stronghold, the horizon stretching between two worlds, and for the first time, she breathed freely. Aurelian's small hand rested in hers, his golden eyes bright, threaded with shadows that now curled softly, protective rather than predatory.
Beside her, the Beast crouched, enormous and watchful, his shadows no longer jagged and restless, but calm, like a river held in balance. His gaze swept over the lands below, over Mars and Jupiter alike, and for the first time, he allowed himself a deep, steady exhale.
"They breathe," Selene murmured. "Both worlds… at peace."
Aurelian tilted his head, curiosity flickering across his young face. "Do they always stay like this?"
Selene smiled, brushing a strand of hair from his glowing eyes. "Peace… it is not permanent, not truly. But it is ours to protect. And for now, it is enough."
The Beast rumbled softly, a sound that carried both pride and caution. "The heirs have survived, the venom undone, and yet the world remembers the cost. Never forget, Selene… vigilance is the price of peace."
She nodded, understanding that even in this quiet, the echoes of prophecy and the shadow of power would linger. But they had carved a moment of stillness into the cosmos, a fragile harmony that had seemed impossible only days before.
From the terrace, they watched Mars' crimson plains bathe in golden twilight, and Jupiter's stormed clouds glow faintly silver, the moons orbiting serenely for the first time in a generation. Wolves roamed the forests, but their howls were soft now, tempered by time, and no venom-tainted shadow lingered to bite at the land.
Selene tightened her grip on Aurelian's hand, and the Beast stepped close, his massive form grounding them both.
"For now," she whispered, "the heirs of fire and shadow, of wolf and flame… have brought balance."
Aurelian's gaze swept over the horizon, unflinching, as if already seeing far beyond the present. Even in his youth, he carried the weight of worlds—and yet, he smiled faintly.
And in that smile, the universe exhaled.
The wars of prophecy had ended. The heirs had endured. The skies, finally, were silent.
But Selene knew, as all who had faced darkness know, that peace was a seed—not a gift. And in the hands of fire and shadow, even a seed could become a storm.
For now, though, the worlds slept, and she let herself believe in quiet.
The Beast's shadow stretched alongside hers, steady and unwavering, a sentinel in the soft light of two harmonized worlds. And together, they watched the sunrise over Mars and Jupiter—the first true dawn of an age without war.