#Chapter 51 A New Threat

Ember The energy within the palace has changed. Everyone moves with more urgency, and there is tension palpable in the air. There’s a new urgency beneath everything. Even the way people speak has changed. People are quieter, more curt. There is a sense of strain in the palace, like we’re all waiting for something to happen. It doesn’t take long to figure out why. Reports have started coming in from the southern villages. Rogue sightings in places that were previously quiet. Border scouts begin encountering more resistance. It’s not an organized force, but something is building, and no one wants to say it outright yet. More of the guard is being reassigned to handle the threat. I hear it in briefings and see it in the reshuffled duty rosters. Patrol rotations are stretched thin. Jake looks exhausted, and even the senior guards seem worn. Everyone’s moving faster, talking less. The comfort of routine is gone. The focus has changed. What resources had been focused on the