The fire in the hearth popped, sending a shower of orange sparks onto the stone floor. Clevatess looked at the three hunters standing by the door. Their earth-brown leathers were stained with the salt of the mountains and the sap of the pines. They carried themselves with the quiet confidence of men who lived in the shadows of the trees, far from the prying eyes of the High Citadel.
I am not the raven you seek, Clevatess said, his voice smooth and cold as polished glass. I am the winter that follows it.
The leader of the hunters stepped forward, his eyes fixed on the silver dragon brooch. We have lived under the Queen's false sun for too long, he replied. The Sun-Gate towers hum with a heat that makes the forests dry and the animals restless. We were told the King loved the balance of the world. We were told he protected the night so the day could have meaning.
Clevatess stood up, his midnight-black tunic falling perfectly into place. He didn't need to check a mirror to know his presence commanded the room. As a designer of his own fate, he knew that every movement was a thread in the grand tapestry he was weaving.
Show me these towers, Clevatess commanded. If the Queen has poisoned the land with her light, I will show her how quickly a shadow can grow.
The group slipped out of the tavern, leaving the villagers in a state of stunned silence. Outside, the world was a deep, forest green under the moonlight. The hunters led them through hidden paths where the pine needles muffled their footsteps. Alicia kept her hand on her sword, her eyes scanning the canopy for any sign of Vanguard scouts, while Nelluru moved like a lime-green ghost among the ferns.
As they climbed a steep ridge, the air began to vibrate. It wasn't a natural sound, but a low, mechanical thrum that made the teeth ache. At the top of the next peak, a massive structure of white stone and brass rose into the sky. It was the Sun-Gate, glowing with a harsh, artificial yellow light that pushed back the beautiful darkness for miles.
The grass around the tower was yellow and brittle, dying from the constant heat. Even the trees seemed to lean away from the light, their leaves curled and brown.
It is a scar on the world, Alicia whispered, her blue aura flickering with distaste.
Clevatess walked toward the edge of the ridge. He raised his hand, and the gold embroidery on his sleeve began to glow with a deep violet hue. He wasn't just going to attack the tower; he was going to reclaim the night.
The Absolute Zero began to gather at his fingertips, a power unseen for a generation, ready to extinguish the false sun.
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