Three days after the siege, Valdara's capital was still recovering.
Damien walked through the damaged districts with Seria and Elara, observing reconstruction efforts and coordinating with local authorities on defensive improvements. The work was necessary, productive, and gave him an excuse to avoid being alone with his thoughts.
Or alone with Lyristae.
"The eastern wall needs complete reconstruction," Seria observed, making notes on a tactical map. "The demon assault compromised the foundation. Patching it won't be enough – we need to tear down the damaged sections and rebuild from scratch."
"That'll take weeks," Elara pointed out. "Maybe months. Do we have that kind of time before the next attack?"
