There was something undeniably wrong in Govean.
It wasn't just the sudden death. It wasn't even the fact that the body left behind bore no signs of injury, no trace of poison or illness. It was the silence surrounding the event—the quiet fear that weighed on every villager's face, the subtle tension in the air like a storm refusing to break.
Luke had felt it even before the elder spoke. The way General Charis hesitated, the way the other knights avoided eye contact. Something had happened here that even trained soldiers couldn't explain. And now, he and Commander Valerie were being led straight to the epicentre of that mystery.
The old man walked ahead of them with steady steps, his cane clicking against the packed dirt road. The villagers made way as he passed, a silent testament to his authority. Despite his age, his posture remained upright, and the calmness in his demeanour hinted that this wasn't the first time he'd had to deliver bad news.
