Chapter 215

The storm did not arrive all at once.

It gathered.

Clouds layered upon clouds until the sky seemed constructed from weight. The air thickened. Birds flew lower than usual, restless. Even the ground felt charged, as if listening for impact.

Kaia walked toward it anyway.

By the time the first thunder rolled, she could see the settlement ahead—spread across open terrain with no natural barriers. No mountains. No forest cover. No riverbanks.

Exposure.

Homes built wide instead ...