The elder's voice rang through the clearing, sharp and mocking.
"Pathetic. This is what becomes of those who dare oppose us. Remember this—today is your last day."
He sneered, glaring down at the people crammed inside the cage.
The soldiers laughed, their jeers cutting deeper than any whip.
Inside the cage, the prisoners shrank back. Children whimpered, clutching at their mothers. Men pressed their foreheads against the iron bars, eyes hollow with despair.
Hidden in the shadows of the trees, Lucian and Luna watched silently.
Luna's heart clenched. Her fingers twisted into her thin cloak as she turned toward the boy beside her.
"What will you do? You can't just watch them suffer like this…"
She whispered, her voice shaking.
Lucian didn't answer.
His eyes never left the scene. Instead, he lifted his hand slightly, the gesture so subtle that only those watching for it would notice.
A shimmer stirred in the air.
