Human Kingdom – Morning
Dark clouds loomed low over the Human Kingdom, swallowing the horizon in shadow. Snow drifted down in thick, lazy flakes, blanketing the cobbled streets in white. Even though it was morning, the light never broke through the clouds, the entire city lay under a cold, oppressive twilight.
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The Market,
Vendors had still opened their shops, their breath visible in the chill air. Oil lamps burned brightly on wooden counters, their flames fighting against the gloom. The market, however, was near empty. Only a handful of customers wandered between the stalls, wrapped in layers of wool, heads down, moving quickly through the cold.
Among them, two cloaked figures walked quietly — Leon and Fruela, their faces hidden under black hoods, snow clinging to their shoulders.
"Sir! Fresh apples!" a vendor suddenly shouted, springing forward from behind his cart. He shoved an apple directly toward Leon's face, the red skin of the fruit glistening in the frost.
