The forest whispered secrets on the wind, and Liam stepped forward to meet them.
Two days blurred into a whirlwind of preparation. The Council, shaken by Elandor's fall and the revealed depth of the corruption, finally moved with purpose. Additional wardens arrived at the grove—reinforcements from allied enclaves—bringing the total defenders to nearly two hundred. Levels varied, but the unified will under Ti's guidance felt like a living shield.
Liam spent the morning in the training hollow with the scouts who had survived the cache raid. His new **Betrayer's Bane** title hummed in his veins, sharpening his senses to hidden void traces. He sparred with the elven captain, a stern woman named Lirael at level 1520. Their blades sang—his nullification edge clashing against her wind-infused strikes.
