The voice belonged to Valttair.
He stepped forward from the upper edge of the fractured courtyard with the same calm composure he carried in any other setting. There was no urgency in his posture, no visible fatigue, no sign that the outcome of the world's future had been hanging in the balance moments earlier. His presence alone altered the atmosphere.
He had been present for longer than anyone below realized. From a broader vantage point, the situation had already stabilized before the fighters at ground level could perceive it. The interior of the castle had been cleared of void creatures some time ago. Heirs from several families had reinforced the structure and secured the upper levels. What had once been a collapsing defense had gradually turned into controlled ground.
Those trapped in the courtyard had not known.
