The air was thick with tension as dawn broke over the eastern battlefield. The camp had been silent for hours, the quiet anticipation settling over the soldiers like a heavy blanket. Celestia stood at the front of the camp, her eyes fixed on the horizon, where the first rays of sunlight cut through the mist. The ground beneath her boots felt like it might give way at any moment, as if the earth itself were holding its breath in anticipation of what was to come.
Behind her, the army was assembling—soldiers readying their armor, adjusting their weapons, and whispering among themselves. Some were fearful, others stoic, but all of them were preparing for the bloodshed that was inevitably going to unfold. She could feel their eyes on her, waiting for her to make the first move, to give the order that would lead them into battle.
