The City

The wind carried the first warning long before anyone could name it. By the time the city began, the city had already drawn its gates and dimmed every lamp along the eastern wall.

Elara stood beneath the old watchtower and listened. Beyond the rooftops, the mountains gathered their shadows. Somewhere in that darkness, a choice waited for her—a small, human thing against a world that had grown impossibly large.

“Keep moving,” Kael said. His voice was quiet, but it found her through the gathering noise. Together they crossed the bridge, carrying only what they could hold and the stubborn hope that the road ahead still belonged to them.

At the edge of the valley, the first stars appeared. They were not a promise. They were simply there, bright enough to follow.