Dawn came slowly over Eldoria.
The sky burned with shades of orange and gold as the first rays of sunlight touched the battered castle walls.
The goblins were gone.
But the damage they left behind was everywhere.
Broken arrows littered the battlements. Dark scorch marks stained the stone. Soldiers moved quietly through the courtyard, tending to the wounded.
I leaned against the balcony railing, exhaustion weighing heavily on my body.
The kingdom had survived the night.
Barely.
Behind me, the balcony door creaked open.
Lyra stepped outside.
Her usually perfect armor was streaked with soot, and a thin cut marked her cheek.
But her eyes were as sharp as ever.
"You look terrible," she said.
I laughed quietly.
"You should see the other side."
She joined me at the railing, staring out over the city.
For a moment neither of us spoke.
The silence felt strange after the chaos of the night.
Finally she said softly,
"Do you remember when we used to sneak into the training yard as children?"
I smiled faintly.
"You mean when you forced me to practice sword fighting with wooden sticks?"
"You needed the practice."
"And you enjoyed beating the future king."
She laughed.
The sound felt warm in the cool morning air.
But the moment didn't last.
Her expression slowly grew serious.
"This attack wasn't normal, Kaelen."
"I know."
"Goblins don't gather in numbers like that unless something is driving them."
I looked toward the distant forest.
The dark trees stood silent under the rising sun.
But something about them felt… wrong.
"You think something worse is coming?" I asked.
Lyra didn't answer immediately.
Instead she looked at the horizon.
"Yes," she finally said.
"I do."