THE SOUTHERN ALLIANCE – A STORM IN THE SHADOWS
The rain came down like a curtain of needles, veiling the outskirts of the capital in a thick gray gloom. The cobblestone path leading to the old hunting lodge was nearly swallowed by overgrowth and mud, as if the land itself had tried to forget the structure still stood. It was far from the polished marble of the court, hidden deep within the forested hills near the southern border—a place of old blood, older grudges, and secrets that festered like rot.
Inside, the air was warm with firelight and heavy with the scent of wet fur, damp wool, and sour wine. The stone walls sweated with the storm outside, and the wooden beams overhead creaked like the bones of a dying beast. A single iron chandelier cast swaying shadows across the long table at
