When he woke, it was morning.
Someone was shaking him. Rough hands on his shoulder. "Up, boy," Gaur's voice grunted. "Get up."
Devvyn blinked, his body stiff and sore from the hard ground. The world swam into focus.
Two military trucks stood parked on the road, and soldiers were climbing down from the backs. They moved with crisp precision, boots crunching against the dirt. Their armour wasn't the usual guard plate; it was sleeker, layered with mana-reinforced alloys. Helmets masked most of their faces, visors glowing with pale runes.