As the others filed out of the meeting room, Aldric, Islinda, and Maxi remained behind. The tension in the room lingered like a storm cloud, thick and heavy. Aldric turned to the general, his face grim.
"You do realize it's an impossible mission heading to the barrier, right?" Aldric's tone was calm, but his words were pointed.
The general sighed deeply, but said nothing. His silence emboldened Aldric to continue.
"Even when there were gaps in the barrier, the monsters were barely manageable. But now?" Aldric's voice hardened. "Now you're talking about a suicide mission. We're sending soldiers to their deaths."
The general's frustration boiled over. He whirled around, eyes blazing with anger. "And what do you want me to do?" he roared, his voice echoing through the tent. "King Oberon is down, Astaria is in chaos, and the other courts are barely holding on by a thread! What would you have me do?!"