The First Omen

Seraphine stirred before dawn, a strange unease curling in her chest. The room was quiet, Kaelith's warmth still wrapped around her, but something in the air felt… wrong.

She sat up slowly, careful not to wake him, and listened.

Nothing.

And yet, the feeling did not fade.

A sharp knock shattered the silence.

Kaelith was already awake. He moved before she could, throwing on a robe as he reached the door. When he opened it, Lord Aldric stood there, his face shadowed with urgency.

"You need to come," Aldric said grimly.

Kaelith's jaw tightened. "What's happened?"

Aldric hesitated. Then, in a voice just above a whisper, he spoke the words that would change everything.

"The western outpost has fallen."

Seraphine's breath caught.

The storm had arrived.

To be continued…

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