After the brutal clash on the Broken Plains, Valdoria breathes a fragile sigh of relief. The Council of Voices consolidates its authority, guiding the people toward rebuilding and renewal. Farmers return to their fields, healers tend to the wounded, and banners of the rising sun replace the serpent sigil across the land. The Ember Crown, resting upon its altar, becomes a beacon of unity rather than a weapon of rule.

Yet beneath the celebration lies unease. Kaelen, Selira, Eryndor, and Thalen recognize that Malrik's defeat is not final. Though driven from the battlefield, he retreats into the mountains, wounded but unbroken. His generals whisper of vengeance, and his hunger for the crown burns fiercer than ever.