Sharina's breath hitched. Her world turned upside down in a single sentence.
Her son… dead.
The Orc who delivered the news was trembling, face pale as ash. "H-he's… Draki is…"
Sharina didn't wait for the rest. She bolted toward the tent district, heart pounding against her ribs like a war drum. Her feet barely touched the earth as she sprinted, desperate… terrified… refusing to believe what her ears had heard.
She pushed into Draki's hut—
And froze.
Draki's body lay sprawled across the dirt floor, armor stained by dried blood. His eyes stared blankly into nothingness—wide open, lifeless, and hollow. His skin had already taken on a bluish tint, cold and stiff. A gaping hole was carved into his chest, where his heart should have been.
Sharina's soul shattered.
