The palace had never sounded like this before.Not during court sessions. Not during training drills. Not even during the quiet tensions that followed Serapha's confrontation.
This was different.The alarm horns echoed through the ocean in long, vibrating waves that pressed against my chest like thunder underwater. Coral walls shifted color from soft gold to deep crimson, warning lights pulsing through every corridor. Warriors rushed past in disciplined formations, armor sealing into place as currents sharpened around them like drawn blades.
Fear moved through the palace faster than any messenger.I stood frozen for only a moment before instinct pushed me forward. Azarus had ordered me back to my chambers, but the tremor that shook the floor beneath my feet made obedience feel impossible.
Something was wrong. Terribly wrong.
