Sebastian’s pov
I rode at the head of my personal guard, sword raised high, as dawn broke over the valley’s rim. The morning air was crisp and electric, every breath charged with the promise of victory. Behind me, my shadow-wolves surged up the slope, banners of black and silver rippling in the pale light. I expected only triumph, only the taste of Crimson Moon’s defeat. Instead, a sudden thrust of terror tore through me.
The eastern flank. Captain Theo's phalanx, charged straight into what should have been an unbroken field. Instead, the ground yawned beneath their feet: hidden pits revealed by Henry’s cunning traps. Spears, half-buried in the mud, snapped through low foliage and skewered horse and rider alike. The men fell screaming, the tide of my army stalling on the edge of those g
