----
The night settled over the academy with an eerie quiet, the air thick with foreboding.
Fowad couldn't shake the weight of the discussion with Grevan, Caidus, and Kael.
Though they'd agreed to help, he could sense the undercurrents of distrust and political maneuvering swirling through the council's chambers.
He stood at the edge of the dormitory courtyard, his Chaos Eye faintly flickering as he looks around the grounds.
Foxy sat beside him, her ears twitching at the faintest sounds.
Zoom paced restlessly, sparks of lightning crackling along its fur, while Fattey perched on his shoulder, its usual chaotic energy unusually subdued.
"Do you feel anything?" Helena's voice broke the silence as she approached, her falcon circling above.
Fowad said someone's coming. "They're closer than we thought."
As if on cue, a low, guttural roar echoed in the distance, sending a shiver through the night air.
