The air was thick with tension as Damien, Amara, and Carys prepared for their next mission. The intercepted intelligence from the captured conspirators had pointed them to the southern caves, an extensive network of tunnels nestled in the jagged cliffs outside Winter's Crown. If the remaining rebels succeeded in smuggling their weapons there, the kingdom would face yet another wave of unrest.
Damien stood in the palace armory, his steel-gray eyes scanning the rows of swords, crossbows, and armor. He checked his blade meticulously, the weight of the mission pressing heavily on him. Amara sauntered in, her sharp blue eyes glinting as she twirled a dagger in one hand.
"You've got that look again," she said, leaning casually against a rack of spears.
"What look?" Damien asked without looking up.
"The one that says you're about to do something reckless," Amara replied with a faint smirk.
