The darkness in the mountains had grown still.
For weeks, the shadows had been quiet, their attacks ceasing, their presence fading. The world had begun to heal, the people to hope. But Ethan knew better. The silence was not peace—it was preparation.
"I can feel them," he said, his voice echoing in the Nexus chamber. "They're waiting. Gathering. Planning."
Viktor stood at the entrance, his face grim. "What are they planning?"
"I don't know. But it's something big. Something that will change everything."
Viktor was silent for a long moment. Then he said: "We'll be ready. Whatever comes."
Ethan's voice was soft. "I know you will."
---
The attack came three days later.
It began with a tremor—a faint vibration that rippled through the land, shaking the foundations of the settlements. T
