Dawn settled silently over the palace gardens. A mist-like glow wove between the trees, and the fog drifting among the marble columns rippled as if the very air were holding something back. The inner courtyard still slept, but one corner had already begun to stir - where the gray stone tiles of the training circle glistened damply in the early light.
Soft footsteps broke the silence. Two figures approached.
Elara and Dareth.
The vampire king walked beside her, gaze fixed forward, his movements calm and regal. No guards accompanied them, no servants followed. None were needed.
Elara wore a light, black training outfit, silver embroidery lining the sides - magical protections chosen by Dareth himself the night before. Tension from yesterday's throne room still pulsed faintly in her finge
