The moon hung heavy and swollen over the border watchtower, casting its pale light across the landscape with a sinister red hue. Its face, bruised and angry, painted the night sky with an unsettling glow. A wolf’s distant howl cut through the stillness, a chilling warning and a promise wrapped in one. The night outside Aria’s home was quiet, save for the restless stirring of wind, carrying with it the scent of smoke and iron. Inside, however, the tension in the air was thick with impending danger—familiar yet unwelcome.
The world outside had narrowed to fear and vigilance, and inside, hope flickered like a fragile candle, threatened by the shadows that crept through the corners. Aria had barely slept. Since the courthouse assembly, her mind had been clouded with thoughts of Rowan’s betray
