Leah Carter’s Point of View
The sound of the drums didn’t stop, they rolled across the Hollow like thunder, shaking the burnt towers and echoing through the valley, the snow began to fall again, faint, silver, and slow, but instead of peace, it brought a chill that felt like death itself.
Kael still stood beside me, his sword dripping with black ash, the flames from the battle flickered low now, dying in the wind. The Hollow was quiet, too quiet.
Caleb’s voice broke the silence. “The enemy’s pulling back.” He stood at the edge of the square, watching shadows retreat into the trees beyond the gate. “They’re leaving.”
Kael didn’t move, his breathing was ragged, his body swaying slightly. “No,” he said under his breath, “they’re not retreating. They’re waiting for something.”
Before I co
