The dwarven morning arrived not with birdsong or a cool breeze, but with a dry heat that seeped in through the stone walls like breath from a furnace.
Luca woke slowly, eyes blinking open to the muted glow of mana-lanterns. For a moment, his thoughts were scattered… then they settled—predictably—on the same thing he'd been thinking about before falling asleep.
I hope everything went well with Master and Selena.
He pushed himself upright, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he padded toward the window. Beyond the carved stone frame, the sky stretched clear—bright blue, sun blazing fiercely above the mountains. Dwarves were already bustling about like ants in a forge, their rhythmic hammering echoing faintly even from here.
Luca exhaled softly.
"Finally," he murmured, fingers resting against the cold stone sill. "The Forgeheart Crucible will resume today."
