The fortress of Shadowfang carried the heavy silence of aftermath. Blood had been scrubbed from the stones, but the scent lingered in the cracks, a ghost that no amount of washing could erase. The warriors limped through the halls with fresh bandages, voices low, eyes sharp. The border skirmish had ended in victory, but everyone knew it was only a taste of the war to come.

Selene walked slowly through the courtyard, the weight of eyes pressing down on her. Yet something was different now. Days ...