The war chamber hummed with quiet intensity as Kade scanned the latest reports. Lines on maps crisscrossed with urgent annotations, but none of it painted a clear picture. He leaned back in his chair, the weight of his role pressing down like an invisible force.
"What am I missing?"
he muttered to himself, rubbing his temples. His thoughts felt like threads, each pulling in a different direction, none leading to clarity.
The room was almost too quiet, save for the flicker of torches and the occasional shuffle of feet from guards stationed outside. The stillness gnawed at him, a prelude to something greater — something just beyond his grasp.
The door creaked open, breaking his thoughts. Vask entered, his crimson eyes gleaming as he approached the table, a subtle urgency in his movements.
'My lord,'
he began, his voice steady but low.
'Scouts from the northern ridge have returned with troubling news.'
