Emperor Arin stood at the head of the table that had maps spread over it, his expression was carved from iron.
Beside him, Alaric stood in silence, hands braced on the edge of the map as the others waited for his word.
Marcus was first to break the silence. "Your Majesty," he said, bowing slightly before continuing. "Reports came in before dawn. Four more cities have been burned down."
Arin's jaw clenched. "Casualties?"
Marcus exhaled slowly. "High. We have recorded about 700 casualties. The soldiers did what they could to evacuate survivors, but…" He hesitated. "The disease had already reached them."
Carlden's tone was tight, restrained. "Burning them was the only way to stop the spread, sire. If the infection's in the water, it could've swallowed the entire eastern range by now."
Aidan folded his arms. "And yet it still spreads. Even the fire can't stop what we don't understand."
