Every eye in the room fixed on Thran, the weight of their collective attention pressed down on Thran like an oppressive force.
"We found a battalion of Leo-kin," Thran continued, his voice low but clear. "Three hundred strong. Maybe more."
The number landed like a stone dropped into still water. Muscles tensed. Brows shot upward. Mouths fell open.
"Three hundred!" one of the council members gasped, his face draining of color, terror flashing across his features.
Kael shot a sharp glance at the man, and the room instantly fell back into silence—heavy, suffocating, broken only by the sound of labored breathing. Hearts hammered against ribs, threatening to crack under the weight of dread.
Their numbers were massive. Nearly six times the size of their entire tribe. Helplessness coiled in their chests like a serpent, squeezing the air from their lungs.
