The moment my foot crossed the threshold, a body slammed hard against the wall to my left.
The sound cracked through the air, followed by a sharp groan before the man dropped to the ground, unmoving. Blood spread beneath him quickly, dark against the stone floor.
I didn’t stop.
I stepped fully into the hallway, my senses snapping into place instantly. The silence from before was gone. Completely gone. In its place was chaos—raw, violent, already out of control.
Shouts echoed from every direction. Footsteps pounded against the ground. Steel clashed against steel, sharp and relentless. The air smelled thick—iron, sweat, fear.
War.
Not coming.
Not building.
Already here.
Darius stepped out behind me, slower this time. I felt the shift in him immediately. His weight dragged slightly,
