Recap:
Jemil's farewells were quiet but heavy — Kaela's fierce blessing, Mirella's soft words, and Liora's teasing bet all weighing on his shoulders as he left the stronghold. The mountains ahead are cold, hostile, and waiting… and somewhere beyond them, his enemy has prepared the first strike.
Scene 1 – The First Ambush
Snow crunched beneath Jemil's boots as he made his way along the narrow pass. The wind howled between the cliffs like a living thing, sharp and relentless.
Every few steps, he let his hand brush the hilt of his blade — not from fear, but from instinct. In places like this, danger didn't just arrive. It waited.
A sound cut through the wind.
Not the howl of the storm. Not the shifting of snow.
A whistle.
Jemil's eyes snapped up just in time to see a black-fletched arrow slicing toward him. He stepped aside, the shaft missing by a hair, then drew his sword in one smooth motion.
