I noticed Rose and Arthur slipping away from the hall together, their hands interlocked with the kind of natural intimacy that spoke of deep understanding and shared anticipation. The sight brought a complex smile to my face—equal parts joy, melancholy, and something approaching relief.
It did hurt, admittedly, to see my daughter all grown up now, stepping away from the protective circle I had maintained around her for eighteen years. But she was walking into the hands of a very capable man, someone who had already proven his worth in ways that went far beyond conventional measures.
Guild master of a Gold-rank guild in the Slatemark Empire. Considered to be the future Paragon alongside Lucifer Windward. Already at peak Integration-rank with the Wall to Ascendant status clearly within his reach.
But most importantly, and most disturbingly...
A Nightingale.
