The night had ended in blood and silence.
Now, dawn broke cold and hollow.
Crystal sat at the edge of the bed, half-dressed, her fingers trembling slightly as she tied her hair back. The faint scent of iron still clung to her skin, no matter how many times she scrubbed. Outside, the courtyard was quiet except for the soft murmur of healers tending to the wounded.
Dustin stood near the window, arms crossed, watching the fog roll across the training field. His jaw was tight, his bare shoulders tense beneath the pale morning light. Neither of them had slept.
“I can still smell them,” she whispered finally.
Dustin turned, his expression dark. “I can too. But they’re gone. The patrol swept the perimeter three times.”
Crystal shook her head. “They weren’t acting on instinct. Those rogues—
