Ariane:
The war room scattered like embers on the wind, each of our souls drifted with silent purpose. The gravity of what lay ahead already clawed at our shoulders, settling into our joints and bones like a storm on the horizon, pressing low against the earth. One by one, they slipped away, until only Seris and I remained—twin shadows in the dying light.
He didn’t look at me right away.
Instead, his eyes stayed locked on the map like it was a wound he couldn’t close, like it whispered things only he could hear.
“I’ll send word to the riders to get the horses saddled,” he said at last, his voice quieter now, drawn taut like a bowstring. “And I’ll speak with the wardens on the perimeter. If the Murk has begun to stir…” His jaw flexed, the muscle ticking just once. “We’ll need to prepare
