The morning of the great convocation dawned with a sky of impossible blue.
Lira stood on the cliffs above the harbor, watching the delegates arrive from every corner of the realm. The Assembly of Unity had called for the largest gathering in generations. Representatives from every region, every village, every town. The realm was united as never before.
The sword hung at her hip. The blade was silent. Peaceful. The legacy was complete. The cycle was broken.
But she knew it was fragile.
Her daughter appeared beside her. Kaela was fifteen now. Tall. Strong. Her eyes held the same fire that had burned in her ancestors for eleven generations.
"Mother," Kaela said. "Something's wrong."
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know. But I feel it. A weight. A pressure. A presence that doesn't belong."
