Six days.
That was how long the warning gave Elias. Six days to prepare a half-born faction, a still-bleeding fortress, and a handful of loyal followers for what the Monarchs called a Reaping Protocol.
But in the end… the Pale Reaver did not wait.
It came on the fourth night—unannounced.
The sky above the Crownless Sanctum rippled, then cracked—not like thunder, but like bone. A shriek followed, low and unnatural, and the world itself seemed to flinch.
The soul-reactor at the core of the Sanctum dimmed, its light pulling inward.
Lira stumbled from the training grounds, already drawing her blades.
"What the hell was that?"
Elias stood at the upper balcony, hair whipping in the wind, eyes glowing.
"It's begun."
> [System Alert: Interference Detected]
Entity Classification: Pale Reaver
Monarch: Velstra – Queen of Threads
Objective: Defend Crownless Sanctum
Siege Phase: I – "Soulhunt"
