DARIAN

Today has been hell.

My body aches with every step I take, the hallway seeming longer than usual as I make my way toward my chambers. My mind’s still stuck back at the southern borders, at the blood, the mess, the screams.

The rogues came harder this time.

Stronger. More organized.

And while we won, barely, it doesn’t sit right with me. They’re not just testing boundaries anymore. There’s something down there they’re not letting go of.

But what?

I push open the door to my chambers, mentally planning to rip off my shirt and sink into a hot shower for an hour. I step in, only to freeze...