[Realm: Álfheimr]
[Location: The Deathless Fortress]
The quake had struck without warning.
It didn't rumble in gradually like distant thunder—it hit, a single violent jolt that rattled the fortress halls as if something massive had slammed into them. The stone floor lurched under Gretchen's boots hard enough to send dust falling from the half-collapsed ceiling. Window frames groaned, their fractured panes splintering further as hairline cracks stretched across them.
The impact shuddered up Gretchen's legs and punched through her ribs, but she held her ground with a stabilizing breath. Her stance widened instinctively, boots grinding against loose rubble. A small frown creased her face.
"This isn't the Deseruit Beasts," she muttered, more to herself than anyone else.
