The tension in Ashen Hollow had been building for weeks, simmering beneath the surface like a fire waiting for a spark. That spark came during the council meeting, where the atmosphere was thick with frustration and distrust. The council, a mix of humans and supernaturals who had long kept the uneasy peace in Ashen Hollow, now found itself splintering as fear and uncertainty took hold.
Inside the meeting chamber, a stone-walled room that had once been a place of unity, the air was thick with the scent of burning sage and incense. The council members sat around an old, circular wooden table, each of them wearing expressions that ranged from weary to openly hostile.
Silas Durn, a grizzled werewolf with gray streaks in his dark hair and a scar running down his jaw, slammed his hand on the t
