Kael's POV
The sky burned red long before dawn.
At first, I thought it was just the fires from the eastern borders, another village caught in the storm of war. But when the moon itself bled crimson, when the stars began to vanish one by one, I knew something far worse had awakened.
The Blood Moon.
It hadn't risen in centuries, not since the last divine war. And now, it hung above us like an open wound, staining the world in scarlet light.
Damien had gone to search for Adrian before the sun fell yesterday. He said it would be quick, just a scouting trip, a recon mission beyond the cursed woods. But the sun had risen and fallen twice since, and he still hadn't returned.
And that terrified me more than the Blood Moon itself.
I stood on the high wall of the fortress, the cold wind whipping my armor. Below, the soldiers moved like ghosts, sharpening blades, tending wounds, whispering prayers.
