The town felt like a forgotten painting.
No sound, no movement—only the hollow echo of their quiet footsteps against the cobbled streets. The stars were still hanging high above, refusing to give way to dawn, their faint light just barely enough to shape the shadows around them.
Luke and Ilyrana walked side by side, their joined hands a small warmth against the chilly air. Every so often, Luke glanced around, half-expecting to spot the glow of a lantern or the distant clanking armour—but there was nothing.
No knights on patrol.
No townsfolk are beginning their day.
Only the sigh of the sea breeze curling through the narrow alleys.
It was eerie, in a way.
As if the world itself was holding its breath.
Maybe the knights were still out somewhere, keeping watch in unseen places.
Maybe they weren't.
Either way, it felt like the whole town had emptied itself just for them, paving a silent path to their meeting place.
