Chapter 42 The Battle In The Hall

• The throne hall had become a battlefield of shadow and fire.
• The first wave of Dread Shades poured through the shattered doors like a living storm, their forms shifting unnaturally—sometimes wolf, sometimes smoke, sometimes little more than a pair of burning eyes and jagged teeth. Their howls carried the weight of centuries of betrayal, shaking stone and soul alike.
• Lucia’s pendant burned hot against her chest, the soulbrand flaring with every breath. The crown upon her head pulsed in unison, light bleeding from its runes as if the kingdom itself recognized the threat. She raised her hands, silver fire erupting between her claws, the flames arching outward to form a protective circle around the council dais.