Dawn broke over the black peaks of the Obsidian mountains.
The air around the Citadel was thick with the rhythmic, low hum of the Aether-Forge working furiously deep underground.
The five thousand Glacial Wyrms roosting on the black-stone battlements shifted in the early light, their diamond-hard white scales reflecting the sun.
Lucifer stood in the exact center of the main courtyard.
He wasn't wearing his dark leather armor. Instead, he stood in a simple black tunic with his iron gauntlets removed. The morning air was crisp, but it was about to get much colder.
Elara stood a few paces behind him. The Fallen Valkyrie held her celestial spear, her golden wings folded tightly.
Sarah stood beside her, leaning on her Scepter of Cosmic Alignment.
"The perimeter is completely clear, Warlord," High Ranger Celeste reported, jogging across the cracked stone pavement. Her breath fogged slightly.
