Dawn came slowly over the capital, but the city did not wake normally. Smoke still drifted above the cathedral district. The once-sacred structure now stood half-collapsed, its white stone blackened by divine fire and something darker that no priest wished to name aloud.
Whispers spread faster than light. People spoke in quiet voices in markets, in alleys, and behind closed doors. Every rumor carried the same question.
Who survived the divine descent? And more importantly, who caused it?
Inside the temporary council chamber of the Church, tension filled the air like a coming storm.
Priest Valther stood before a long stone table where senior clergy gathered. Their robes rustled softly as they shifted uneasily.
“The divine avatar has withdrawn,” Valther said carefully. “The hero remains
