Mount Saede.
Just those two words, and the world tilted on its axis. Cecilia understood instantly, the intimate heat of moments ago flash-freezing into a block of ice in her veins.
"It erupted?" Cecilia stood frozen, rigid, the entire universe narrowing to those two devastating syllables. Everything else was forgotten.
Chief Hettor nodded, his expression carved from stone. "Yes, my Lady. It's… devastating."
"What do you mean?" Cecilia's voice was too low, too tight.
"Mount Saede's eruption had been predicted for years. And three months ago, I sent letters. I warned them to be extra vigilant during this exact window. The planet's rotation… the polar motion… the seasonal deformation of the crust…"
The scientific terms tumbled out as a desperate litany against the horrifying news, her body beginning to tremble uncontrollably.
"Cecilia…" Oathran immediately pulled her stiff form into his arms. "I know, my love. Breathe. Just breathe…"
