The grand halls of Lionhart Castle were already abuzz with preparations for what would be the most extravagant event in decades. Servants hurried through the corridors, hands full of luxurious fabrics, rare decorations, and exotic foods from every corner of the Runiya continent. Chandeliers were polished until they gleamed like new stars, and fountains were being erected in the gardens, soon to be filled with the purest water imported from the snow-capped peaks of Eldora.
But despite the flurry of activity, an uneasy tension hung in the air, as if the castle itself could sense that something far more significant than a celebration was approaching.
