Three years later...

The Daughter of Dawn sat on the cliffside of the mountain overlooking the Dawn Court.

It was an indescribable beauty to see the horizon once more. Ever since the war, Thesan had put extra security in the palace, making it harder for anyone to go in or out. But not impossible.

Auriella had to sneak out of her room, using her shadows to temporarily hide her. It was a heart-racing task, but she could not stand being in the palace for so long. She had to get out. She wanted to feel the wind on her skin again, to let herself be free from her broken mind.

Months after the war, Auriella started to notice that she was going deeper into the void of her mind. She remembered everything that happened to her before the war, haunting her once more. The memories repeated themselves as if she had never left.

Soon, her attendants noticed.

Lara and Valeria pleaded with Auriella to tell them what was wrong. But she couldn't bring herself to for fear that if she spoke of another word about what happened Under the Mountain, she would be stuck in the pit of nightmares that made their way into her sleep every night.

But with everything building up inside of her, it was only a matter of time before Auriella would give in to her fears.

And one day, she almost did.

A year after the war, Auriella was in her room, sitting on her bed, staring at the wall. If anyone had walked in, they would think that she was sick. Her caramel skin became pale, void of any color. She had become skinnier, her bones showing through. And her shadows...

They were still there, but they were weak. She didn't know what to do with them, given that she was not of the Night Court. She didn't know how to strengthen them or give them the power they needed. She felt herself being abandoned by them, even when they surrounded her.

She felt abandoned by everyone. Her parents, her brother, her attendants, and even Azriel.

The Spymaster had reached out to her, but she closed herself off from him. She didn't feel deserving of him, of anything that was remotely good. Her mind took hold of everything good and she couldn't bring herself to even think of anything other than suffering.

She felt her mate knocking, trying to get past the shield of her mind. She felt pressure there as if he were kicking over and over again to get through, but he was unsuccessful.

Eventually, he stopped.

And eventually, Auriella would come to her breaking point.

One day, the Daughter of Dawn had enough strength to get up from her bed, put a robe around herself, and sneak away from her home.

The night was cold, sending chills throughout her body, but she kept running. To where? She didn't even know. All she wanted to do was get rid of the pain, the nightmares, and the voices that haunted her mind. She didn't want to suffer anymore.

And then, Auriella found herself at the gardens her father, Zephyr, used to take her to when she was little. It was a vast piece of land, filled with different flowers. The sight of it used to bring her much joy, remembering the happy times she spent in the colorful field.

Now, it brought her nothing but emptiness.

But Auriella did not focus on that. Instead, she set her sights on the cliffside that was only a few feet away from her. It looked out to the ocean of Prythian, where the sun would rise from behind it.

As if her body was attracted to it, she walked to the edge of the cliff, looking down at the far drop that was nothing but waves crashing into the rocks that were there. The noise of the ocean calmed her, the smell of the saltwater making its way up to her.

Auriella expected to feel fear, to feel something when she looked down at the height. But there was nothing, as if her mind had become accustomed to fear. Death was not something she was afraid of.

It was like the ocean was welcoming her, wanting her to drop down into the deep abyss that it was. She knew that it would take away her pain, bringing her to peace. She wanted it. She craved to calm her wounded mind. She had to make it all go away, everything that brought her pain.

But she couldn't bring herself too.

Even when Auriella begged for her own body to listen, to leap from the edge... it wouldn't. She sobbed, walking back from the cliff, and dropping to her knees, and cried into her hands. She screamed out into the air, blaming the world for what was done to her.

The Daughter of Dawn hugged her body, rocking back and forth, trying to bring herself back to reality. There was no way she could do it, take her own life as if it meant nothing to her. Yes, she would have peace, but would her family be okay? Would Azriel feel their bond rip apart if she had succeeded?

She shook herself out of the thoughts.

As Auriella looked down at herself, she could see her shadows wrapping tighter around her, as if they were comforting her. Her heart swelled, wondering if her shadows would find their way to Azriel, to tell him that she gave into her mind and was no longer alive.

Auriella took a deep breath, looking up at the great beyond. The sun was coming up, filling the sky with a yellow-pink color. The horizon.

As she admired the view, she could hear rustling in the tall flowers behind her. Auriella turned around, wondering if her fathers or brother found her, but there was nothing there.

She stood from the ground and the rustling started again, coming closer to her. She took a step back, making sure she was not about to fall off the cliff.

Then the flowers shook once more and the creature showed itself. Auriella sighed with relief, noticing that it was a wolf pup. The small thing stared at her, sitting in place and turned its head in confusion, like it was wondering why she was there.

Auriella smiled down at it, kneeling down once more. She patted her thighs, wanting the pup to come to her. "I won't hurt you," she breathed, reaching out her hand.

The wolf pup walked cautiously towards her, smelling her from afar. Auriella still kept her hand out, wanting to see if it would trust her. Her shadows curiously looked at it.

And once the pup's nose tapped her fingers, it nestled its head onto her hand. And for the first time, two years since the war, Auriella showed a true smile. She brought the pup into her arms, petting its black fur.

"A beautiful little thing, aren't you?" She asked, checking its underside to see that it was a boy. She chuckled.

It was a day she would always remember. A day where she was going to take her own life, but ended up being a day where she met her best friend. A little creature that brought her joy and was with her throughout the battles she had within herself, comforting her every time.

And now, two years later, Perseus, laid next to her, his head on her lap. He was fully grown, his height reaching up to her pelvis. His fur was a gleaming black, fluffed whenever the wind would hit him. He loved being outdoors, mostly to catch the rabbits he would have for dinner.

Auriella loved training him, giving herself something to do. Surprisingly, he was very obedient, listening to her every command. She would give him small meat treats, which he would gobble down like nothing. He always begged for more.

One thing that she noticed about Perseus, was that he was naturally protective. Whenever Auriella would go out for walks with him, he reacted to every little sound he heard, ready to defend his owner. Even when Auriella trained by herself, Perseus was with her, sitting on the side as she wielded Soulender in the air.

Perseus was also very aware of the people around him, growling at those he did not like getting close to his owner. Thankfully, he was fine around Auriella's family, immediately growing a bond with Damian.

Thesan was not happy with the wolf at first, but eventually, Perseus grew on him. Whenever there were meetings that involved the entire family to be there, Perseus was right there, next to Auriella's legs, ready to move whenever he was commanded to.

The Daughter of Dawn sat there on the same cliffside, realizing the beauty of the Dawn. As she battled with the darkness, she had shielded herself from it, telling herself that she could not let it win, that she could not let everything that happened affect her.

The reminders of the decades still lived with her. The scars on her back from Amarantha's whip. The scars on her arms from the War of Hybern. They were all still there, constantly reminding her that she couldn't escape, but she could fight.

And that is exactly what she did, even now. Auriella had hardened herself, becoming different to the person she once was.

She was never going to allow herself to be weak again.

Suddenly, Perseus stood up from her lap, looking back at what was behind them. He sat down next to her, not barking, which meant it was either Thesan or Zephyr. He knew not to bark at his superiors.

Auriella didn't look back. She just kept staring at the horizon.

"Ella, your father wants you back at the palace. It is an urgent matter to discuss." Zephyr says.

The Daughter of Dawn stood from the ground, turning back to her father. "May I ask what it is about? Or are you just going to keep that from me too?" She asks him.

After the war, the Children of Dawn exploded with questions to their fathers' about their newfound abilities. They were enraged to the brim, yelling at their parents, asking why they would keep this from them. None of those questions were answered.

Auriella knew that they were afraid to even say anything about the matter.

Zephyr cleared his throat, "Ella, please... come with me back to the palace. I do not want to have this conversation now." He tells her.

She scoffed, rolling her eyes, "Of course, you never want to have this conversation. Damian and I just want answers. Why do we have these abilities? Who were our real parents? What the hell is going on? Can you answer none of those?" She asks, her body filling with anger.

Her father says nothing.

The Daughter of Dawn shakes her head, "I'll see you at the palace." She tells him, walking away and whistling at Perseus to follow her.

After a half an hour, Auriella and Perseus walk up the stairs to the palace. The guards move aside, opening the tall golden doors, letting them walk in.

"The High Lord and the Captain are in the throne room, Daughter of Dawn. They are waiting for your arrival." Her personal guard, Wadsworth, tells her.

She nods at him, "Thank you, Wadsworth."

As she walks towards the throne room, with her guard behind her, she suddenly stops. Her shadows were also still, as if there was someone beyond the doors that were above them. Auriella feels her heart tighten, wondering if he...

She swallows, motioning the guards to open the doors.

And once they do, Auriella releases the breath she was holding.

The High Lord of Day stood in front of the Dawn throne where Thesan sat. Helion, along with his newfound son, Lucien, looked over to her with curiosity written on their faces.

And next to them, the High Lord of Night was there. Rhysand, along with the general, Cassian, stood there with the same expressions.

Auriella felt Perseus shift as his eyes laid upon the Night Court.

Thesan reached out his hand to her, "Come, Auriella. There is much to discuss."