The war camp was quiet in the aftermath of victory, though the silence was not the serene kind that came after peace. It was heavy, laden with tension, exhaustion, and the faint metallic tang of blood still lingering in the air. Fires crackled along the perimeter, sending long shadows across the tents, while soldiers sharpened their blades and whispered among themselves about the man who now led them.
Ren sat in his command tent, the map of the Northern Territories spread before him. His hand hovered over the parchment, tracing the lines that marked borders and passes. Every decision mattered now. He could feel the noose of General Varik tightening from the south, his spies whispering of armies being raised, of nobles being bribed into betrayal.
And yet… Ren did not feel fear. What he fe
