The sanctuary felt different now.
Elias stood at the entrance, watching the city below. The sun was setting, painting the sky in shades of amber and crimson. But there was something wrong with the light. It was too harsh, too sharp, like the world itself was straining against some invisible pressure.
Three weeks had passed since the Fracture's defeat. Three weeks of peace, of healing, of watching the world slowly stitch itself back together. But the peace was fragile. He could feel it in the air, a tension that hummed just beneath the surface.
The calm before the storm, the shadow said. Something is building.
Elias nodded slowly. "I know. I can feel it."
We must be vigilant. The next threat will not be like the others.
Elias turned from the entrance. The others were gathered in the c
