C194 THE AIR TURNED UNFAMILIAR

The first thing Elara noticed was the silence.

Not the peaceful type.

The wrong kind.

The village had gone quiet in a way that didn’t belong to nightfall. Chickens no longer rustled in their coops. Dogs that usually barked at shadows suddenly hunkered low, tails tucked, ears flat. Even the wind seemed to hesitate, touching the roofs and pulling away as if it had learned fear