In a modest manor nestled on the outskirts of Cybele City, the once-peaceful silence was now drowned by dread. The wind tugged gently at the pale curtain through a crack in the window, but the soft breeze was the last thing on anyone's mind.
Not when fear clung to the air like the thick, suffocating humidity before a storm.
Inside the master bedroom, a man crouched in a concealed compartment—an old, hidden closet tucked within the stone framework of the manor walls. He wasn't alone.
His wife clutched his arm tightly, and between them were their three children, huddled close. His chest rose and fell in heavy gasps as he tried to keep his breath quiet. Sweat beaded down his brow.
The man—Baron Cybele—once stood proud as a mid-ranking noble, running his estate with moderate success and staying far from major political games. But tonight, that distance had shattered.
