The calm didn’t last.
By midnight, the territory was awake again.
Not openly. Not with alarms or shouting. But movement spread quietly through the grounds, fast enough that Lyra knew something was wrong before anyone even knocked at the door.
Kael was already awake beside her.
The moment the sharp knock sounded against the door, his expression changed instantly, every trace of softness from earlier disappearing beneath focus.
“What happened?” he asked as he opened it.
One of the guards stood outside, visibly tense. “There’s been movement near the western supply routes.”
Lyra sat up immediately. “What kind of movement?”
“We found signs of interference,” the guard replied. “Storage lines disrupted. Tracks near the outer paths.”
Kael’s jaw tightened slightly. “Sabotage?”
“We’re stil
