The night deepened over Greyvale City. While the first floor of the Adventurer Guild buzzed with life, filled with drunken laughter, clanking armor, and shouted negotiations, the second floor had morphed into something entirely different: a war planning room.
The lounge no longer resembled a place for relaxation. The central table was completely consumed by layered maps, charcoal sketches of terrain, hastily copied bestiary pages, mana fluctuation charts, and handwritten notes filled with calculations and annotations.
Several mana lamps floated overhead, casting a pale blue glow that sharpened every line and shadow, making the atmosphere feel colder and more unforgiving.
This was not a discussion about possibilities; it was preparation for death.
