Chapter 45 Flames Of Preparation

• Dawnridge stirred under the pale light of dawn, but the village’s usual calm was shattered by a current of unease. The streets, usually filled with laughter and the clatter of daily life, were now alive with hurried footsteps and whispered conversations. Guards sharpened blades, villagers secured windows, and the council gathered once more beneath the ancient oak in the heart of the village.
• Ivy stood among them, the faint golden glow from the First Flame still pulsing beneath her skin. Her heart was a tempest—determined but weighted with the knowledge of what was to come.
• “Elara,” Ivy said, stepping forward, “the Flame is more than power. It’s a bond with everything that came before us. It will protect us—but only if we respect its limits.”