[Realm: Álfheimr]
[Location: Heart Kingdom Outskirts]
[Virelheim Mountain Village]
The pale woman stood in the center of the village square, her posture still as a statue. A faint wind cut through the air, carrying with it the mingled scent of smoke and damp soil. The village was quiet, save for the creaking of wooden beams and the dull chatter of those who whispered.
She exhaled slowly, a sigh escaping her lips that sounded more like disappointment than fatigue. Her crystalline eyes swept over the settlement before her—cracked walls, wilted fields, and faces dulled by habit.
"…It's even more putrid up close."
Her voice held no venom, only a detached revulsion. The disgusted murmur came from the woman who bore the Eighth Seat of the Retorta Guild. Her reputation, though unknown to these people, carried weight enough to silence nations.
The villagers' gazes turned toward her one by one—some curious, others cautious, most afraid. Their murmurs grew.
Humans.
