The Walker clan guard walked quickly through Celestial Brook City, his boots tapping the ground in time with his haste. He held a sealed bundle of letters in his arms, each bearing the Walker clan head's brash crimson stamp. The orders were clear: deliver without delay.
He did not question the weight of the message, but every step pressed a quiet unease into his chest.
By noon, he reached the Brook clan; the first of the letters reached the Brooks estate. The sprawling compound stood at the heart of Celestial Brook, white-walled and serene, with gardens blooming under the late summer sun.
In the great hall, Lady Seraphina Brooks, clan leader, sat alone with a set of clan records. She was tall and slender, her features as fine as porcelain, but her eyes as sharp as obsidian. When the guard was shown before her, he bowed and presented the sealed letter with both hands.
