Behind the half-darkened windows of the living room, the world seemed to have changed. The morning light now cut through the shadows more sharply, as if it, too, knew that peace had ended. Within the walls of the house, the echoes of earlier words still lingered: the bloody message, Leonardo's threat, and that cold realization no one voiced aloud-but everyone felt.
The house was no longer safe.
In the back room that served as a war room, Dareth, Elara, Kael, Thyra, and Selene had taken their seats around the oval table. A holographic map shimmered above the surface thanks to Selene's magic-glowing blue rings of protection, pulsing runes, and the echoes of magical activity from the surrounding area.
Dareth stood by the window, arms crossed, his posture tense, jaw clenched. He didn't spea
