The southern border was nothing like Aetherion's marble corridors. Here, the world was smoke, dirt, and constant tension. Selene had been on the road for days, crossing broken villages and burned farmland, following the trail of destruction the rebels left behind. The kingdom's edges had always been unstable, but now, after the war and the storm, it felt like the land itself was ready to revolt.
She arrived at the outpost near dusk. The walls were half-collapsed, the guards nervous and poorly supplied. A thin drizzle fell over the camp, blurring the horizon into gray. Her arrival caused a stir—soldiers straightened immediately, recognizing the woman who once stood beside their king. Some looked at her with admiration, others with uncertainty.
"Commander Selene," the captain greeted, saluting with a trembling hand. "We weren't expecting you this soon."
