The journey through the lower city was a descent into hell. The armored carriage violently bucked and jolted as it plowed over debris, shattered cobblestones, and occasionally, things Caelum forced himself not to identify.

Outside the reinforced glass, the city was dying. The Rift Storm was a mael

The wind howled through the lower city, carrying with it the metallic tang of ozone and the terrifying, bone-rattling shrieks of the Rift Sirens. Yet, at the base of the High Citadel’s grand emergency gates, a suffocating silence had fallen over Caelum Vance.

He stared up at the raised dais, his ja

"Family," Elara repeated, the word rolling off her tongue like a foul taste.

A soft, chilling laugh escaped her lips, carrying over the roar of the wind. Beside her, Kaelen stood perfectly still, his hand resting casually on the pommel of his sword, his intense gaze fixed on the pathetic display b