Moonlight spilled through the lattice of festival banners, casting silver shadows across the cobblestones of the royal capital. The Harvest Parade had woven through the streets hours ago, its laughter and drums fading into the night. Now silence reigned—broken only by the distant tolling of cathedral bells, their mournful peal rippling through empty squares.
Cain Elvis moved in merchant’s rags, hood pulled low, escorting two armored guards who flanked a hooded prisoner between them. The prisoner’s wrists were bound in silver-thread fetters—the same dampening magic that cut Sera’s bond. As they passed torchlit windows and shuttered taverns, Cain’s jaw clenched with every muted bell. His pulse hammered in his veins—tight with fury and dread.