[Third POV – General]
It had been two days since the mountain split open near the dark forest beyond Solcarth.
What remained of the cavern was now a massive crater carved into the land between jagged ridges and dense, monster-infested woodland. Patrol units were dispatched almost immediately. Soldiers combed the perimeter in heavy formations, banners lowered, armor dulled with caution. None of them truly understood what had happened. They only knew the earth had trembled, the sky had cracked with sound, and something powerful had torn through the terrain.
Inside the palace, the situation was worse.
The Divine Containment Prefect was dead.
Not merely dead. Destroyed in a way that unsettled even seasoned officials. His chamber had become a site of whispered horror and sealed reports. Servants refused to walk that wing alone. Advisors spoke in hushed tones. The heirs began their own investigations without coordination.
