Chapter 35
The first dragon moved before anyone said a word.
Its wings cut sharply through the air as it broke formation and turned toward the horizon. A second followed, then a third, until the entire pattern above the mountain shifted at once. What had been slow and steady moments ago tightened into something alert and focused.
Ariana felt it immediately.
The pressure in the air had changed. It was no longer distant or faint. It had sharpened, like something unseen had stepped closer without making a sound.
Whatever had been moving beyond the mountains was no longer far away.
It was here.
Kael stepped forward slightly, his eyes narrowing as he tracked the sky. "Yeah… that's definitely not normal."
Ariana didn't answer right away.
Her attention stayed fixed on the clouds as shapes began to form within them, clearer now than before. The closer they came, the more defined they became, and the heavier the air felt around her.
"They're already here," she said quietly.
