Night eventually settled fully over the wilderness, the last traces of daylight vanishing behind the jagged silhouettes of distant hills. The wagon rolled on beneath a sky of deep velvet blue, where stars shimmered like cold silver dust. A heavy calm had overtaken the Sages; Morvath was slumped against a pile of blankets, his breathing slow and steady, while Dravien lay curled beside him, his ears twitching at the distant sounds of the night even in sleep.
At the back of the wagon, Eiden sat with a steady posture, his grimoire open in his lap. The pages pulsed with a faint glow, casting shifting runes across his face. Moonlight washed over his white hair, turning the strands to silver and making his steel-grey eyes gleam with an ethereal, otherworldly light. Near the side rail, Vaelus lay on his back, staring into the heavens with emerald-green eyes that reflected the stars with glassy brilliance, his expression softened by a rare sense of wonder.
The horses trotted steadily, their muffled hooves marking time against the dirt path as the night air took on a crisp, cold bite. Iris finally broke the silence, her voice low and alert as she peered into the darkening path. "We'll be heading into vampire territory," she warned. "So be on your guard."
Morvath jerked awake as if falling from a dream, inhaling sharply. Beside him, Dravien flinched, his ears shooting straight up and his tail puffing out in surprise. "What's going on?" he chirped, eyes wide and unfocused.
Eiden closed his grimoire with a quiet thump, the runic glow fading. He lifted his gaze, looking almost unreal in the pale halo of the moon. "How much longer till we reach the Angel King's castle?" he asked, his voice steady despite the rising tension.
"We'll probably get there around sunrise," Iris replied from the front, guiding the horses through the gloom.
Vaelus sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes before glancing toward Eiden. "Eiden, what were you doing with your grimoire? Earlier, you were concentrating so hard with your eyes closed."
"I was wondering the same thing," Selyndra added, leaning back to watch the stars overhead.
Eiden rested the book on his lap. "I was trying to find a way to use creation magic without speaking aloud. Until now, I've only been able to cast it with a verbal command, but I've finally figured out how to cast it within my mind. I needed that advantage—just in case the Angel King has something up his sleeve."
Vaelus nodded slowly in understanding. As the wagon continued forward, the night grew deeper and the trees thickened, their branches twisting overhead like skeletal fingers. The wind shifted, turning sharper and colder, carrying a faint, metallic tang.
Then the scent hit them—subtle at first, then unmistakable. The air began to smell of blood, an iron-rich scent that clung to the wind like a warning. The horses snorted uneasily, and the forest grew unnaturally quiet as even the stars seemed to dim.