The moon hung high in the night sky, casting a soft glow over the quiet valley. Cinder sat alone on a large, smooth rock at the edge of a river. The gentle sound of flowing water was soothing, but her mind was far from calm. Her journey had been long and filled with battles, both physical and emotional. Tonight, she let herself feel the weight of it all.
Cinder thought back to the beginning, to the moment she had been sold and stripped of her freedom. She had been terrified, alone, and unsure of her place in a world that seemed determined to crush her. Back then, she never imagined she could be a leader, let alone someone who would change the fate of so many others.
But she had grown stronger with each challenge. Each betrayal, loss, and victory had shaped her into the person she was now. She had learned to fight, not just with her claws, but with her heart and mind.