جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 60

The storm arrived before midnight.Rain swept across the mountains in relentless sheets, drumming against the stone walls of Draven Keep and turning the courtyards into rivers of mud. Lightning flashed beyond the eastern cliffs, illuminating the ancient fortress for the briefest of moments before darkness swallowed it again. Thunder rolled across the valley like the growl of an enormous wolf, shaking the windows of the keep.Inside the war chamber, the fire crackled in the massive hearth, but it did little to warm the tension that filled the room.Kael stood at the head of the long oak table, studying the latest reports spread before him. Every messenger who had returned during the day carried troubling news. Villages along the eastern border had been abandoned without a fight. Supply caravans had disappeared without leaving tracks. Scouts had spotted unfamiliar banners moving through forests where no army should have been able to travel.None of it made sense.General Thorne rested b

The chamber remained silent as Riven stared at the letter in his hands.His fingers trembled ever so slightly, though whether from exhaustion or emotion, he could not tell. The familiar handwriting blurred for a moment before he forced himself to steady his breathing. Every curve of every letter carried him back to a life that had ended years too soon.His father had taught him to read beneath the branches of an old oak tree overlooking their village. He had taught him how to track deer without disturbing the forest, how to hold a sword without letting anger guide his hand, and how to protect those too weak to protect themselves.For years, Riven had believed those memories were all he had left.Now his father's voice lived again through ink upon weathered parchment.Kael remained beside him without speaking. He resisted every instinct to ask questions. Whatever was written on those pages belonged first to the son who had lost his family.Riven drew a slow breath before reading aloud.

Night settled over Draven Keep beneath a sky veiled with heavy clouds. The moon hid behind them, leaving only the glow of torches along the battlements to push back the darkness. A cold wind swept through the fortress, carrying with it the scent of rain and distant pine.King Kael Draven stood alone in the war chamber.The massive oak table before him was covered with maps, military reports, and messages gathered from every corner of the kingdom. Small carved wolves marked the positions of his own armies. Black stones represented the Shadow Pact.The pattern disturbed him.Every route leading into the kingdom was slowly being surrounded.Varak was not preparing for a single battle.He was preparing for a siege.A knock interrupted his thoughts."Enter."General Thorne stepped inside carrying another scroll."Our eastern scouts have returned."Kael accepted the report and quickly broke the seal.His expression darkened."They have abandoned another village."Thorne nodded."The people

The Night settled over Draven Keep like a heavy cloak, but sleep refused to visit its halls. Every torch along the corridors burned brighter than usual, casting restless shadows across ancient stone. The news brought by Cassian had spread through the castle, not in words, but in uneasy whispers. Servants walked more quietly. Guards gripped their weapons more tightly. Even the wolves in the kennels had grown strangely restless, their mournful howls drifting through the cold night air.Inside the council chamber, the atmosphere was no less tense.Kael sat at the head of the long oak table while General Thorne, Lord Garrick, Captain Rowan, and several trusted commanders gathered around him. Riven stood near one of the tall windows overlooking the courtyard, his arms folded across his chest as he stared into the darkness beyond the walls.Cassian remained under guard, though his chains had been removed. He sat silently near the fire, exhaustion etched into every line of his young face.K

The council chamber remained silent long after Lord Edwin's accusation faded into the vaulted ceiling.Every noble present watched King Kael with careful eyes, waiting to see whether their ruler would answer with reason or with anger.Kael remained seated upon the carved throne at the head of the chamber, his expression carved from stone. The silver crown rested upon his dark hair, and the morning light spilling through the tall windows painted cold lines across the steel of his armor.He looked every inch the Alpha King.Only those who knew him well could see the tension hidden beneath the calm.General Thorne stood at his right, his hand resting lightly on the pommel of his sword. Captain Rowan remained near the entrance with a dozen elite guards, each of them watching the council as closely as they watched the doors.Lord Edwin folded his hands behind his back."My King," he repeated, his voice measured, "your silence will only strengthen the doubts already spreading through the ki