Sera's Pov
The morning arrived with a chill that bit into my skin, but I barely noticed. I was already up and dressed before the sun had fully risen, skipping the usual routine of heading toward the training grounds. Instead, my boots carried me across the clearing toward the main building, where the others were waiting. A small group clustered outside—Kael was notably absent, but I recognized the others from yesterday's briefing. Two of the men stood chatting quietly, while the other girl, Elara, leaned against the side of the building with her arms crossed.
Lucian stood at the front, arms behind his back, his gaze fixed on something far away. The morning light highlighted the sharp angles of his face, but there was a tightness in his expression that I hadn't seen before. He looked like a man calculating the weight of something he couldn't quite lift yet.
