Dawn came softly, but the light felt heavier than usual.

The morning sun bathed Silvercrest in gold, yet the air carried a subtle tension — an invisible tremor beneath the calm. Birds sang. The wind whispered. But those who looked toward the manor could feel something else lingering there — something vast and ancient, pulsing faintly from its Luna.

Evelyn sat on the balcony, unmoving. Her silver cloak fluttered gently in the breeze. She hadn’t slept again, but her exhaustion wasn’t ...