The night was alive with movement. Torches flickered like wandering stars as villagers gathered their few belongings, children clung to mothers’ skirts, and the old leaned on makeshift staffs. Every sound seemed louder than it should have been—the creak of carts, the wailing of an infant, the clash of armored knights preparing to march.
They were leaving behind homes built over generations, abandoning the only lives they had ever known. Yet fear drove them forward, for behind them loomed the glow of fires on the northern horizon—fires set by Malrik’s armies as they drew ever closer.
Cael stood among them, feeling like both outcast and anchor. They looked to him for guidance, though he himself was lost.
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The Burden of Leadership
Mira touched his arm gently. “They need you, Cael,” sh
