The offer does not leave Aurora's mind.
It lingers like a blade balanced on a fingertip.
Unify command.
Take full wartime authority.
End hesitation.
Darius had not offered it lightly.
He had offered it because he sees what she sees:
The web is resilient.
But resilience takes time.
And Obsidian Wing is running out of patience.
Aurora stands at the lake as dawn rises, watching mist coil across the water like breath over a wound. Sanctuary is awake but quieter than usual. Kade's injury has spread through the valley like smoke, and while he lives, and will fight again, fear has changed shape.
It is no longer fear of Obsidian Wing alone.
It is fear of fracture.
Of doubt.
Of themselves.
The web hums, steady but stretched.
And somewhere beyond the trees, Obsidian Wing is not retreating.
They are gathering.
The first sign of siege comes with silence.
Trade routes halt.
Neutral towns report blocked roads.
