The morning after the full moon gathering did not feel victorious.It felt watched.Ayla sensed it before the first scout returned to the gates. The forest carried a different silence, one that pressed inward instead of stretching wide. Even the birds had shifted their calls farther from the border. Something was approaching not recklessly, not violently.Deliberately.Kael was already in the council hall when the messenger arrived. The wooden doors opened sharply, and a Nightfang warrior stepped inside with controlled confidence. He did not lower his head fully, but he did not challenge either. His posture was precise, respectful enough to avoid