Amelia PoV
"Please, everyone! Stop for a moment and listen to me!" Vadim's voice echoed. His voice didn't smash through the air—it enveloped it, reaching every fleeing citizen and panicked soldier like a warm hand on a trembling shoulder. The soft magic carried a deep, soothing warmth that made people pause mid-flight, their frantic movements slowing as they looked up toward him.
"Look at the sky above us," Vadim said softly, his bright blue eyes full of genuine warmth and quiet strength as he pointed up toward the bright, clear morning. "The sun is high. The sky is clear. What you just saw was merely a cowardly illusion designed to make you fear the unknown and turn against one another."
He dipped his wings, floating slightly lower so everyone could see his face—a familiar face of a man from the countryside who cared deeply for his people.
