A dull thunk.
Kah'el's eyes opened before his mind had fully caught up. The weight in the air was different, thick with an unnatural stillness. He moved without hesitation, fingers curling around the hilt of his sword as he pushed himself upright.
Then he saw it.
The tip of an arrow, buried deep in the cabin door.
He opened the door slowly, surveying the tree line before settling back on the weapon. It wasn't just any arrow. Black-shafted, designed to be unseen in the dark. A scrap of fabric fluttered at its end, barely noticeable in the dim haze of the morning light.
Kah'el pulled it free in one motion, shutting the cabin door back behind him. The weight of the arrow felt wrong in his hand. The cloth was rough beneath his fingertips, frayed at the edges. Slowly, he unwrapped it, his breath steady even as his pulse quickened.
The sigil stared back at him. The same one from the effigy.