A few days passed, and the army slowly regained its structure, the chaos of battle giving way to order once more, even though the scars remained, both on the land and on the soldiers themselves. The injured had been stabilized as much as their limited resources allowed, makeshift stretchers prepared, formations adjusted to accommodate those who could no longer fight, and supplies carefully rationed for the journey ahead. There was no illusion among them that what lay ahead would be easy, but there was a shared understanding that standing still was no longer an option.
Inside the command tent, the atmosphere was tense but focused, the king standing over the map alongside Commander Alexander and Captain Varran, their attention fixed on the route that would take them to Blackmare Kingdom. The Abyss lay between them and their destination, and even without being physically present there, its weight could already be felt in the room.
