Ravenspire slept lightly.
The sea wind moved softly across the cliffside walls, brushing stone and tile with a steady whisper. Lanterns along the outer perimeter burned low, their flames steady but dimmed to conserve oil through the night watch.
It was the kind of quiet the guild trusted.
Measured.
Controlled.
Earned.
Mira was the first to feel it.
Not a sound.
Not a shadow.
A pause.
She stood along the western wall, arms folded loosely as she rotated through her shift. The city below flickered with scattered lights. The docks were still. The training yard empty.
Then a gull lifted suddenly from the cliff edge.
No reason.
No visible disturbance.
Just flight.
Mira's eyes narrowed.
She stepped closer to the parapet and scanned the darkness below.
Nothing obvious.
But her instincts did not ease.
She reached for the small bell cord mounted discreetly along the stone.
Not the alarm.
Not yet.
The silent alert.
