The next morning was nothing short of hectic. Vale was shaken awake by Klein—there was no time to rest. A mandatory meeting had been called, one that would go over their next course of action. Unlike before, it wasn't just a select few gathered in the command tent. This time, every single survivor was expected to attend.
They assembled outside the Castle's main entrance, the site still haunted by yesterday's bloodshed. Just hours ago, screams, steel, and death had echoed through this place. Now, only silence remained.
The bodies had been cleared, the scattered limbs and broken armour removed—but the aftermath still clung to the stone. The stench of death hung in the air, sharp and sour, while streaks of blood painted the frozen ground like a grotesque mural etched by battle.
