The first hints of dawn cut through the smoke-streaked sky, painting the city in shades of blood and ash. From our perch in the safe house, I could see the remnants of destruction stretching into the horizon, shattered streets, ruined buildings, and distant patrols that moved with unrelenting precision. The council’s forces had escalated, and every moment of quiet was an illusion, a fragile calm that could shatter at any second. Damian stood near the rooftop edge, muscles taut, eyes scanning every alley and street below. The twins shifted sharply within me, a warning I could not ignore. I pressed my hands to my stomach, feeling the subtle but insistent movements of our unborn children. Fear gnawed at me, but it was tempered by the determination that Damian’s presence brought. His eyes met
