Outside, the people still gathered, curiosity gnawing at them like hunger. They craned their necks, straining to glimpse past the wooden barricades and the unmoving line of officers in navy-blue uniform. For what felt like an eternity, the air was filled with the clash of steel, the roar of magic, and the screams of men dying. But now—silence.
The noise had stopped.
The silence pressed on the crowd, heavy and suffocating. They whispered to one another, voices hushed. Was it over? Who had won? None dared to move closer, for the officers' stern glares were warning enough.
Then—
Fwoosh.
A green flare burst into the sky above the warehouse, bathing the district in eerie light.
The officers guarding the barricades exhaled in unison, shoulders easing as they recognized the signal. Victory. The fight was over. Iron Shield was finished.
