C27 The fourth night

By dawn, the estate was heavy with silence.

No chatter in the halls. No sparring in the yard. The wolves moved like shadows, glances sharp and fleeting, their conversations dropping to whispers when I passed.

The Cradle hadn’t stayed behind. It had come home with us.

At the long table, Mira sat rigid, eyes fixed on her hands. Elid muttered half-prayers over his cup