The blinding flash that scoured the snow-white expanse, commanding every eye, lasted only a moment. When it passed, the snowfield was a ruin of dust and swirling flurries, returned to its ashen silence.
A hush fell, so profound that the slightest breath felt like a trespass. Only the faint trickle of crumbling gravel broke the stillness as the living stared at Caelan, their expressions a mixture of awe and hope.
The soldiers saw a savior. The
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