The throne room, the court, the murmurs rising behind him, all of it became irrelevant in an instant, fading into nothing but distant noise as his focus narrowed to a single point, a single name echoing through his mind with a sharp, unrelenting force.
Valen.
He moved quickly, his steps were swift, unrestrained, the controlled composure he had held moments ago, he pushed through the palace corridors, the tension in the air thickened with every passing second.
Every corner was filled with whispers, confusion, and the growing sense that something had gone terribly wrong.
He reached the healer's wing in record time but the doors were already crowded.
"Move," Kaelvryn ordered, his voice cutting through the chaos with sharp authority, his presence forcing space where there had been none.
The crowd shifted immediately, parting just enough for him to step forward, his gaze locking onto the entrance, his breath steady but tight, controlled but strained.
"I need to see him."
