C175 NIGHT CAUGHT BREATH FOR THE FIRST TIME

The night did not fall gently.

It arrived like a held breath finally released, pressing against the world with a weight that made even the bravest wolves nervous. Lamps flickered along the stone paths of the outer quarter, their flames bending as though the air itself had grown restless.

Elara felt it before she saw anything.

A shift.

Not danger yet — something older