Chapter 437. Ascension

A month later 

Kenna

A rush of cool air greets me as I step out on the balcony overlooking the city of Veiled Valley. The valley is a sea of green against the mist rising from the river far below–mist that swallows whole a dozen or so bridges connecting the city on either side of the pristine, near tropical mountains. 

I take a deep breath, my ribs aching as the corset I’m wearing cuts into my skin. Why do we bother wearing these anymore? 

I pinch the fabric of my silver-blue gown between my fingers. The fabric billows out around my waist, creating a ball-gown effect that’s honestly very beautiful, if not totally inefficient. I can barely walk in this gown–this gown of silver stars and fresh-water pearls that glimmer in the moonlight–but I guess that doesn’t matter. I won’t be doing much walking until the after-party tonight, after my ascension ceremony. 

The mist keeps rising, covering the sparkling city in a milky white hazy, but the moon