The house was quiet. No one spoke.
Outside, the world screamed.
Explosions thudded in the distance—sharp, thunderous cracks followed by the roar of fire and the howling of the infected. Cries of pain echoed through the alleyways. Somewhere far off, a bell rang once, then stopped.
Inside, they sat in silence. Torches flickered low. Dust hung in the air.
They were soldiers once. War veterans. Mercenaries. Fighters. Now they sat like statues in a crumbling house, surrounded by sounds of a city tearing itself apart.
"Ten years in a war," Reva muttered. "Ten years of blades, siege engines, monsters. And this is what finally gets us?"
No one responded.
Cael leaned forward, elbows on his knees. He looked fine. Too fine. His cough had stopped for now, but the way his hand trembled against his leg didn't go unnoticed.
Ravik stood up with a groan and stretched. "Alright," he muttered, trying to lighten the mood. "Let's see if your sad little house has anything to eat."
He moved to the shelves and cabinets. Pulled one open.
Empty.
Next drawer—dust.
Then another.
"Gods, Cael," Ravik muttered, slamming one of the cabinets shut. "Not even a moldy biscuit? You really live like this?"
"I've been meaning to restock," Cael mumbled. "Didn't expect the end of the world."
Ravik opened one last container, peered inside, and scoffed. "What's the point of surviving war if you starve in peace?"
He slumped back into his chair, shaking his head.
"We can't stay here," Fen finally said. "This house won't hold. The street's already turning."
"Where do we even go?" Reva asked. "The capital's in flames. The guard's silent. The priests are gone."
"The whole Grand Healing ceremony went up in fire," Nyric added. "Could be that something started there."
"You think the healing itself did this?" Torric asked.
No one answered at first.
"It was too perfect," Reva said after a moment. "that explained why there's this uneasy feeling when the grand healing happen"
"Could've been sabotage," Fen muttered.
"Whatever it was," Ravik said, "we're in the middle of it."
Cael wiped his brow. "And if this can happen here—in the strongest kingdom—then nowhere is safe."
"We need to go," Nyric said. "Get ahead of this before it spreads further."
"Back to my tribe," Ravik nodded. "We've got cover there. Wilds, mountain paths. Less people. Might be safer."
"And what about the rest of us?" Reva asked, glancing at Cael. "We're not beastkin."
"We're still alive," Ravik said. "That's what counts."
There was a pause. A long one.
Then Torric stood. "If we're leaving, we do it soon."
"Before we see another mage burn," Fen added.
No one argued.