The rain had just stopped. The city shimmered with wet stones and slick rooftops that glistened under the dim glow of the street lamps. The air was thick with the scent of wet earth and distant smoke. Meera stood on the edge of the old stone balcony, her eyes scanning the silent streets below. Her heart was still pounding from the confrontation the night before—the revelation that Lalu was a traitor had shaken her deeper than she wanted to admit.

Veer was pacing slowly beside her, Phantom sitting like a dark sentinel at his feet. The panther's golden eyes gleamed, unblinking, as if sensing the tempest that roiled inside her. Veer's voice cut through the silence.