The night air was crisp, and a light dusting of powdery snow covered the cobbled streets of the town square, crunching softly beneath the boots of the bustling crowd. High above, the full moon hung like a massive, glowing silver coin, casting a bright, luminous beam over the entire festival grounds.
In the heart of the square, elevated on a wooden platform carved with wolf crests, stood two grand thrones draped in thick wolf-pelt furs. Odesse and Valex sat together at the center of it all. Odesse wore a heavy, midnight-blue cloak lined with plush white fur that kept the chill off her shoulders, while Valex looked every bit the powerful king in a dark leather coat trimmed with grey fur. Behind Odesse, Cara stood with a wide smile, wrapped in a simple brown wool coat, while Kael stood stoically behind Valex, his dark eyes scanning the happy crowd.
