Lucas's eyes swept across the formation once more, slower this time, searching for someone he had only just realized was missing. The army stood ready, the tension thick, the valley silent in anticipation, yet amidst all of it, there was an absence that suddenly felt impossible to ignore.
His brows furrowed slightly.
The Ice Belle.
She was nowhere to be seen.
His gaze sharpened as he scanned the surroundings again, half expecting her to appear out of nowhere as she often did, calm and detached as though the world itself moved too slowly for her concern.
But she did not.
A faint exhale left him.
Of all times…
Lucas turned slightly, his eyes landing on a familiar figure not far from the formation.
"Tom."
The squire straightened almost instantly at the call, hurrying over with a mix of urgency etched across his face.
"Yes, sir."
Lucas didn't waste words.
"Find her. Now."
Tom blinked once, then nodded quickly, already turning before Lucas could say anything further.
