THE FIRST SHADOWS
The valley beneath Nightfall had changed. Not visibly, not in any way that could be pointed at and measured, but in the way the air carried itself, in the way the trees swayed with a rhythm that felt off-kilter, as if the land itself were aware of a presence lurking beyond the ridge. Elara could feel it before anyone else, a subtle distortion in the energy patterns she had been tracking for weeks.
She stood on the eastern lookout, hands brushing over the rough stone railing, eyes scanning the forests beyond Nightfall’s borders. The sun had begun its descent, bathing the treetops in a muted gold that did little to warm the anxiety threading through her chest. The pulse of the Moonbound energy within her was steady, but restless—aware.
Kael approached quietly, the famili
