The journey from the Iron Wastes to the capital should've taken five days.
Ryon made it in three.
Not because of haste—
—but because the winds smelled of war.
The Gates of Emberlight
As the spires of Emberlight, the capital city, came into view, smoke curled unnaturally in the sky.
The roads were emptier.
The air charged.
Priestesses stood at every gate, hands crackling with ward-magic, faces grim. When they saw Ryon—flanked by Shaera and Elara, both radiating power—they almost didn't let him through.
Until one of them gasped.
"That's… him."
> System Alert:
Status: Capital in Lockdown
Alert Level: Crisis – Matriarch in Isolation
Factional Tensions: Noble Wives vs. Temple Heirs
Bonded Threads Present in City: Kaela, Lyria, Neive
Conflict Potential: High
New Quest: Restore Order or Claim Power Amid Chaos
-
A Reunion at Knifepoint
The moment he entered the city's central quarter, Kaela found him.
Not with flowers.
With blood on her blade.
And a bruised temple.
