THALIA froze at the sight of the stone fortress in ruins, towering walls cracked, battlements burning, and thick smoke spiraling into the sky. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw the chaos unfolding within the manor grounds. People fled in terror, scrambling for their lives, pursued by a monstrous beast that burst through a shattered wall high above the courtyard.
The beast was enormous— horns protruding viciously from its skull, its entire body draped in rough, scaled hide. It loomed over everything, an overwhelming force of destruction that made the ground tremble with every movement. In the foreground, the Psycheberg's knights had formed a scattered line of defense, swords raised and bows drawn, bracing themselves for an attack they all knew might be impossible to withstand. Wit
