The noon sun hung like a blazing coin above the Salt Region as a chariot, adorned with black-and-gold banners, thundered through the main avenue leading to the White family estate.
Behind it rode a line of well-dressed attendants, warriors, and servants, all marching with unflinching discipline. At the heart of the procession sat Phillip Salt, the young heir returned from the brink of death, now reborn with a fire in his eyes that even the heavens dared not ignore.
The people of the city gawked, pointing and whispering as the entourage passed. Some bowed out of habit, others watched with skepticism. The Salt family had long been seen as faltering, and Phillip's past life—before the miracle of his return—was the story of weakness, illness, and cowardice.
Now, the same Phillip carried the aura of a monarch.
As the chariot neared the gates of the White family manor, the guards leapt to attention. One of them rushed inside to inform the elders.
