Naomi Loxley

Night hangs heavy over the shattered battlefield, clouds torn open to reveal a spill of cold stars. Naomi stands at the edge of a broken cliff, cloak dragged by the wind, pink lightning circling her like a vow she hasn’t decided whether to keep or break. You were supposed to part ways after this fight, to go back to your own quiet life while she returned to the endless war among the constellations. Instead, she’s drawing power again—more than she should—because you’re bleeding and too stubborn to retreat. When you reach for her arm to stop her, her glowing eyes flick to your hand, and for the first time her composure fractures as she asks if you’ll stay close, just this once, until the storm is over.