The first scream came from inside the walls.
Nyra had heard the cries of wounded soldiers throughout the morning, but this was different. It was sharper, filled with pure terror. The sound echoed through the fortress like a warning, followed almost immediately by the clash of steel and the thunder of boots pounding across stone.
The southern gate had fallen.
Enemy soldiers flooded into Dawn Keep in endless waves, cutting down every guard who stood in their path. Smoke began rising above the rooftops as flaming arrows rained into the fortress, setting timber houses ablaze. Within moments, the peaceful sanctuary that had sheltered refugees and wounded warriors was transformed into a battlefield.
“Protect the civilians!” a captain shouted.
His voice was swallowed by the chaos.
Nyra race
