Duskfall breathed differently at night.
The rooftops lay layered like overlapping secrets, slate and stone warmed by lingering heat, shadows pooling where the city lights could not quite reach. Valan stood at the edge of one such roof, long coat brushing his calves as the wind tugged at the hem. Below him, Hellrift Road pulsed with enchantment.
It was not a road in the traditional sense. It bent and curved according to will rather than stone. One moment it was narrow and candlelit, the next wide and crowded, lanterns floating overhead like tethered stars. Fae stalls lined the street in shifting configurations, some permanent, others phasing in and out of existence as their owners crossed realms. Crystals chimed softly. Vials shimmered. Runes glowed and faded like breathing things.
Valan
