The air in Dandelion City was thick with the acrid stench of blood and smoke. Silence hung heavily over the streets, broken only by the faint crackle of burning debris.
The tension was palpable as Kaelric kneeled before Graviel, his piercing blue eyes fixed on his father, waiting for an explanation.
But Graviel offered none, his gaze cold and unreadable.
Kaelric adjusted his stance, his mind racing as he replayed the reports he'd received from Rendall, the spy master of the Vossmer family.
The chaos described in those brief, urgent messages had been staggering, but nothing could have prepared him for the devastation that now stretched out before him.
Kaelric broke the silence first, straightening as he addressed Graviel. "Father, the Murim Alliance sent me," he said, his voice steady but edged with hesitation. "They received reports of an attack on Dandelion City… They decided that the Vossmer family would need assistance."