Always from ash

They all stepped further into the manor's dimly lit chambers, the room shivered with unspoken plans.

Viscount Kael Draylen led Aric down the narrow corridor, their footsteps muffled by the crumbling stone beneath them.

Aric's sharp eyes flicked over the makeshift base the Covenant had built within the fallen manor, noting the shadows that seemed to cling to every corner.

Flickers of candlelight illuminated faces buried in scrolls, maps, and cryptic letters. This was no grand palace of power—it was something much more dangerous.

Kael glanced back at him, his voice low and deliberate, the tone of a man who had learned long ago not to trust easily.

"It's time you understand what the Covenant's been preparing. We've been patient, watching the others fight amongst themselves, while we've been working in silence."

Aric folded his arms, giving a curt nod.

"Let's hear it."