I felt it before anyone said a word.
The fortress changed.
It wasn’t loud. There were no alarms, no running guards. But something in the air shifted to a tightening, like a breath held too long. The torches along the corridor flickered unevenly, shadows stretching thinner against the stone.
Kael felt it too.
His hand was still at my waist when his body went rigid. The warmth between us flared once so sharp, reactive, and then cooled as his focus shifted outward.
“What is it?” I asked.
He didn’t answer immediately. His eyes had darkened, scanning beyond what I could see.
“Someone crossed the southern border,” he said finally.
The words were quiet.
Controlled.
But his grip tightened unconsciously.
“You can feel that?” I whispered.
“Yes.”
The simplicity of the answer unsettled me
