The Warrior’s Broken Mate novel Chapter 130

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The climb out of the tunnels felt endless. My body ached from the fight, my chest still humming with the power of the heart. Elias’s hand never left mine, steady and warm, guiding me even when my legs wanted to give out. The Ash Queen moved ahead, her firelight leading us through the dark.

When we finally reached the surface, the air shifted.

I blinked against the sudden brightness, raising a hand to shield my eyes. For a moment I thought the world was on fire–but then I realized it wasn’t fire at all. It was sunlight.

Real sunlight.

The sky stretched wide and clear, painted in gold and blue. The heavy clouds of ash that had always hung over the realm were gone. The air was fresh, sweet, filled with the smell of grass and flowers instead of smoke and rot.

Elias froze beside me, his chest heaving, his golden eyes wide. “What… what is this?”

I followed his gaze. The land stretched out before us, alive in a way I had only ever dreamed of seeing again.

The blackened forest was green once more, trees rising tall and strong, their leaves shimmering in the sunlight. Flowers bloomed across the meadows in every color, their petals swaying in a gentle breeze. Rivers that had been choked with ash now ran clear and bright, sparkling like crystal.

And the villages-

I gasped. Houses stood whole again where only ruins had been. Smoke curled from chimneys, but it was the smoke of fires cooking meals, not burning destruction. People moved through the streets, their laughter ringing in the air, children chasing one another as if war had never scarred this place.

Animals bounded across the fields–deer, foxes, birds, even great stags with antlers like trees. Even the dragons in the sky. Life was everywhere, vibrant and unbroken.

The realm had been reborn.

Elias’s hand tightened around mine. He turned slowly, taking it all in, his face a mixture of awe and disbelief. “This is… this is what you’ve been fighting for.”

Tears burned at the corners of my eyes. “Yes.” My voice was barely a whisper. “This is how it used to be. Before him. Before the shadows.”

Elias swallowed hard, his jaw tightening as he stared at the forests, the rivers, the people. For so long, he had only known this land as broken and cursed. Now, for the first time, he saw it as it was meant to be.

“It’s beautiful.” He said, his voice rough. “I didn’t understand before. I thought… I thought maybe you were clinging to something that couldn’t be saved. But this-” He broke off, shaking his head as if words weren’t enough.

I pressed closer to him, laying my head against his chest. His heartbeat was steady, grounding. “This is why I couldn’t give up.” I said softly. “Because I knew the realm could live again. And now it has.”

The Ash Queen stepped past us, her dark robes catching the light of the sun. Her crown glowed faintly, no longer burdened by the weight of shadows. She surveyed the land, her expression softer than I had ever seen, a quiet awe in her eyes.

“The heart has done its work.” She said quietly. “The realm is whole again.” Her gaze shifted to us, sharp but not unkind, as if she could see into the very core of who we had become.” Because you claimed it. Because you became its protectors.”

I felt the truth of her words deep in my bones. The power of the heart still pulsed inside me, alive and steady, woven through my bond with Elias. I was no longer just myself—I was part of the realm, and it was part of me, its strength flowing through every vein, every breath.