There's a beat of silence after Veyrith's words—long enough for the weight of them to settle.
Then Brakar steps forward.
His eyes burn with resolve as he raises his voice so it carries across the entire formation.
"We will not fail."
The commanders straighten. The monsters behind him let out low, rising growls—barely restrained energy trembling just under the surface.
One of the captains, a flame-crowned beastkin, roars, "We'll carve our way through whatever waits inside!"
A knight slams a gauntlet to his chest. "For the future of this land!"
"For the fallen!" someone else shouts.
"For vengeance!"
Then, in perfect unison, every voice rises like thunder crashing across the mountains:
"We will win, and free this land from Astram's tyranny!"
The ground itself seems to respond, mana pulsing beneath their feet. The portal surges behind Veyrith, its light deepening to a storm-lit glow—like it, too, recognizes the weight of what's coming.
Veyrith gives a single, sharp nod.
