The sun was barely cresting the horizon when the first alarms rang through New Haven. The bell clanged sharply, its urgent sound echoing through the valley and jolting the townsfolk awake. George was already up, instincts primed for something like this, but the suddenness of it still sent a chill through him.
He pulled on his boots and rushed out of his quarters, where he saw townspeople gathering, their expressions a mix of worry and determination. The streets filled quickly with others, armed with stakes, makeshift weapons, and anything they could carry. The lookouts had spotted figures moving in the distance, figures that were unmistakably not human.
Raven, Lucy, and Jackie quickly joined him, each of them tense and ready, with weapons at hand. "What do we know so far?" Raven asked, scanning the crowd, her stance already braced for whatever might come.
