Location: The Spire – The Ascending StairThe spiral stair stretched upward, vanishing into shadows that breathed with menace. Each step creaked with age, yet every sound seemed amplified, as if the fortress itself was listening.Eden’s hand tightened on her sword. The taste of blood and dust still coated her tongue. Behind her, Harriet climbed slowly, her face pale but her eyes burning with determination.Darius lumbered last, his massive frame wounded but unbowed, his breath heavy, every inhale carrying the weight of pain. The silence was suffocating, No guards, No more shouts. Only the faint hum of torches, as though the Spire itself had emptied for what lay ahead.THE MOTHER’S WHISPERHalfway up, Harriet stumbled, Eden caught her instantly. “You need to rest,” Eden whispered.But Harriet shook her head. “If I stop, I may never start again.” She lifted her chin, voice quiet but steady. “I want him to see me Not broken, Not begging. I want him to see the woman he thought he destroye