The tension in the room was already thick from Akolyn's revelations, but Jayla's abrupt entrance shattered it like glass hitting the floor. She stumbled into the room, her composure gone, her face pale and stricken with panic. Her chest heaved with each labored breath, her feline ears flattened against her head. Her tail twitched anxiously, betraying her desperation to get the words out.
"Ironwatch," she gasped, clutching the doorway for support. Her claws scraped against the wooden frame. "It's been burned. The Lycan has declared war."
The words hung in the air like a thunderclap, reverberating through the room and sending a chill down my spine. No one moved. No one spoke. It was as if time itself had paused, unable to bear the weight of her message.