The citizens of Stoneheart froze. They knew that sound. Peace was a fragile, recent luxury here; war was the default state of existence.
"Fenyra, report!"
Lilith strode out of the War Council chamber, her eyes scanning the bizarre anomaly in the sky while addressing the bird of prey perched on her shoulder.
"Calamity," Fenyra croaked, her feathers bristling. "The sky isn't just changing. It's breaking. This is the omen of the End Times."
She looked up, ancient memories surfacing in her fiery eyes. "My world... it ended like this."
Lilith went cold. She trusted Fenyra. The phoenix wasn't just a pet; she was a refugee from a dead dimension, carrying the genetic memory of an apocalypse.
"The End Times?" Lilith asked sharply. "Who is the enemy?"
"I... I don't know," Fenyra admitted, trembling. "But it is coming."
Lilith didn't hesitate. "Full lockdown. Shields up. Now."
The Colosseum.
