Chapter 56 Shifting Winds And Quiet Fires

• A brittle dawn crept through frost-laced windows, painting Lucy’s kitchen in pale, trembling light. The early morning stillness was broken only by the hiss of her kettle and Daren’s soft footsteps above. Outside, the world held its breath—each snowflake suspended in the gray air as if waiting for something terrible to happen.
• Lucy slid a heavy wool shawl over her shoulders and crossed to the radio on the counter. The government’s official broadcast began without warning:
• “National Update: Ferals have now been confirmed in all provinces. Reports of sightings have surged twenty percent in the past 24 hours. Civilians are reminded that hunting these creatures is illegal and punishable under martial law. Any unregistered parties found engaging Ferals will be treated as hostile combatants.