Kyle raised his hand.
The sky above him churned with storm clouds, dark and heavy, swirling like a restless beast.
Rain poured down, soaking through his shirt and dripping from his hair. Every drop hit the ground like a drumbeat, steady and loud.
The wind howled across the battlefield, bending trees and snapping loose tents. The air itself felt different. Thicker, heavier. Charged.
Everything had led to this moment.
This was the plan. The gamble.
The reason he had lured Rodrick here.
He had spent days watching the weather, tracking the shifts in the wind, the pressure in the air.
He had fed Lena false intel at exactly the right time, ensuring Rodrick would be here.
Now, when the storm was at its peak.
He had got the idea talking with Eleanora.
——
A month ago. They were walking along the cliffside, just after a light drizzle had ended. The ground was damp, and the sky above was painted in soft grey.
Eleanora had glanced up, frowning slightly.
