He turned to his crew, his voice steady despite the chaos. "Listen up! These things don't think—they kill. You point them at Kaelen's heartland, and they'll tear it apart. The village, the woods, that pathetic little stronghold he's got—gone. We move at dawn. No mercy, no mistakes. Understood?"
A murmur of agreement rippled through the group, though a few exchanged uneasy glances. Lucian didn't care. Fear kept them sharp. He crouched by the altar, running a finger along the edge of a rune, still warm from the ritual. "Ariana's going to hate me for this," he said under his breath, a flicker of something—guilt, maybe—crossing his face. He shook it off fast. "Too bad she picked the wrong side."
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