The mark on Lin Tian's wrist pulsed again, a cold, insistent rhythm that felt less like a warning and more like a countdown.
He glanced down, pushing back his sleeve just enough to see the faint silver lines. They weren't glowing, but they felt alive, like a second heartbeat tuned to something approaching from far away.
Twelve days, he thought. They're already here.
The formal announcement came that evening, delivered by a harried-looking clerk from the Discipline Hall who bowed so low his forehead nearly touched the stone floor of Lin Tian's pavilion.
"The Crimson Sun Sect's delegation has been sighted crossing the northern glaciers, Vanguard Lin," the clerk said, his voice tight. "The Void Whisper Sect's skyship was detected an hour behind them. The welcoming banquet is scheduled for tomorrow night in the Grand Assembly Hall. The Sect Master requests your presence at the head of the disciple contingent."
