Northern Territory
A full day had passed since the disastrous battle at the Central Stronghold.
The survivors—over a hundred in number—had retreated deep into the icy embrace of the northern mountains, hiding among jagged cliffs and snow-laden passes. Here, shielded by the vast silence of Tartarus's frozen wilds, Rosin Karat had carved a sanctuary into the heart of the mountain itself. With his supremacy in earth element manipulation, he reinforced the caverns with dense stone and resonant ore, lacing the surrounding terrain with natural camouflage and elemental wards. It was not perfect, but for now, it kept them hidden.
Still, the atmosphere was thick with unease.
Among the survivors were a dozen cosmic experts, but most were not warriors. Scholars and workers who were ill-equipped for battle. Of all of them, only one bore the mark of a battle-hardened veteran: Gelael, the Ember Sage.
