Meanwhile, on that exact same night, something else was unfolding deep within the Forbidden Forest...
At the border of the Outer Ring, the pungent stench of wet earth and fresh blood hung heavy in the midnight air. Under the dim, flickering light of scattered torches, a small squad of knights dragged their exhausted feet back toward their encampment. Thick layers of caked mud, dried gore, and cold sweat clung heavily to their dented armor.
One knight, his face pale with a visible mix of sheer exhaustion and lingering dread, paused just outside the main command tent. He wiped a layer of grime and sweat from his forehead with the back of his palm, took a deep, shaky breath, and hesitantly stepped inside.
