The elders stood abruptly from their seats, exchanging uneasy glances with one another. Anxiety flickered in their eyes, and the tension in the room thickened.
Instinctively, each of them turned toward Aeron, silently waiting for his command, looking to him for what to do next.
Aeron's dull gaze sharpened. He rose slowly from the Alpha's seat, the long table between him and the elders barely noticeable under the weight of his presence. "Where exactly is the attack coming from?" he asked, his voice steady but commanding.
The guard, still breathing heavily from his run, stepped forward. "The Town Hall, Prince Cassien," he said urgently. "They are advancing toward the palace. Civilians are being attacked along the way."
Aeron's eyes narrowed, his hands pressing lightly against the edge of the table. The elders remained silent, each waiting for his next command, their unease growing with every passing second.
