Damien
I moved through the corridors of Stormwatch Keep like a wraith silent, purposeful. Torchlight flickered against ancient stone, painting shadows on the walls that whispered betrayal. Every step took me closer to answers I feared I’d never find. The balcony rail had failed; Ayla had nearly fallen to her death. I couldn’t let that happen again. Not to her. Not to anyone else who dared stand beside me.
I rounded a corner and encountered the first guard, Corporal Renshaw. His uniform was immaculate, but his eyes flickered with apprehension. I stopped two paces from him.
“Tell me about the railing,” I said, voice low.
He swallowed. “Sir, I—I wasn’t present when it was inspected.”
“Yet you’re responsible for the sector,” I reminded him. “Every plank on that balcony falls under your w
