Kael The dawn air is sharp and cold, slicing through the courtyard like a blade. My warriors move with efficient precision, forming patrol lines as the day’s orders are barked across the grounds. It should bring me a measure of reassurance, seeing them ready, alert.It doesn’t.The unease coiling in my gut has nothing to do with our defenses. It’s something far more dangerous.It’s her.Elara’s scent has been gnawing at me since the moment I woke.Or rather, the lack of it.I’d expected to smell her the second I stepped into the corridor. She’s always there, a quiet, constant presence lingering like wildflowers and rain. But today… nothing. The emptiness is wrong, jarring, like walking into a room where a fire has just been extinguished.At first, I told myself it was nothing. That she was still sleeping, curled in her bed, safe where I’d ordered her to remain.But now, with the sun climbing higher and still no sign of her, that unease sharpens into something primal.Fear.Not for me
Last Updated : 2025-09-16 Read more