The air changed.
Everyone felt it.
Seris gave the order: prepare.
Torren armed squads.
Riven sharpened his flame.
Lira stood beside Kael.
"They're coming," she said.
Kael nodded.
"I know."
Behind them, Nyra, Silas, and Aelira joined.
Five presences.
One center.
The gate trembled slightly in the distance.
Kael exhaled slowly.
This time—
He wasn't afraid.
Because he wasn't alone.
And the flame inside him…
Was ready.