Lyra POVThe scouts returned at dawn.Mud-streaked, hollow-eyed, their wolves panting from the long run. They came with no injuries - but no peace, either.“The eastern tree line,” one reported, voice gravel-rough. “There’s movement in the hollows. Shadows that don’t cast light. It’s him. We know it.”Lyra nodded, absorbing each word like stone absorbing rain. She didn’t flinch. Didn’t blink. She simply said, “Then we fortify. Every outpost from Hollow Reach to the Veil Spine gets fire runes and silver-lined weapons. No one patrols alone. If anyone sees him - him, not shadows, not dreams - they report to me. Directly.”The scouts hesitated, glancing between one another, then nodded.The war council convened by mid-morning. Nyxar stood at her right, silent as ever, while Elara ran point on magical defenses. The barracks had been roused hours before sunrise. Steel clanged in every courtyard. Witches painted wards on armor, blood-mixed sigils glowing faintly against the leather.And stil
Last Updated : 2025-04-14 Read more