The days that followed blurred together in a relentless rhythm of labor and command.
Construction crews worked through the nights, guided by glowing rune-lanterns and watched over by undead foremen who never tired. Stone shifted, scaffolding climbed higher, and new structures rose in the Lower District and the harbor alike. The Merchant Guild finalized permits for expanded stalls and imported cargo cranes. Mal supervised the harvest of a fresh wave of abyss-touched herbs, while Damon reinforced key trade roads with blackstone from the southern quarries.
Krux led combat drills near the eastern wall, the clang of weapons echoing well into the dusk. Aria's spies moved like ghosts, sweeping through the kingdom's outer lands and far beyond. And Nyx—when she wasn't beside Riven like a quiet shadow— joined the Shadow Knight drills, pushing the rookies to their limits with merciless precision and a sharp grin. More than a few learned that her mockery cut deeper than any blade.
