As the road curved, winding through the frost-hardened hills that led into Anathema's outer territories, Alicia sat in silence. The snow-specked window to her right blurred the trees passing by—twisted, skeletal things half-draped in fog.
The heater inside the car hummed low, but it wasn't enough to chase away the creeping cold that seemed to bleed in through the seams—bone-deep, unwelcome.
Bzzt! Bzzt!
A sharp buzz shattered the silence.
Delbert's phone, secured in the holder on the dashboard, lit up and vibrated once more—insistent, like the call itself carried weight. Without hesitation, he flicked a glance at the screen, jaw tightening as he saw the name.
He answered immediately."Yes, Your Highness?" he said, voice low and measured.
A crackle of static met him first. Then, the voice on the other end—calm, composed, but heavy with something darker—echoed through the receiver. It wasn't rushed, but there was a weight behind every word, like a hammer wrapped in velvet.
