The silence that followed Lyerin's words was deafening.
It was as though the entire camp had been plunged into an abyss, where sound and time ceased to exist.
For a moment, no one dared to move.
The soldiers stood frozen in place, their expressions a mix of confusion, disbelief, and a rising sense of dread.
The festive energy that had saturated the air mere moments ago now evaporated like mist under the midday sun, leaving behind a hollow, suffocating void.
The wind carried the faint crackle of the portal's energy through the camp, its unnatural hum the only sound that dared to intrude upon the stillness.
Soldiers who had been laughing and singing now exchanged uneasy glances, their faces pale and their hands trembling as they gripped the hilts of their weapons or clutched at the hems of their cloaks.
