Night settled slowly over Falmouth.
The last traces of orange sunlight disappeared beyond the distant hills while cold wind moved across the southern fields outside the city walls. Lanterns flickered to life one by one along the streets below while nervous civilians hurried indoors before the gates fully closed.
The atmosphere inside the city felt tense.
Heavy.
Like everyone was waiting for something bad to happen.
And honestly—
They were right.
High above the clouds, invisible against the darkening sky, the MQ-1 Predator drone continued circling silently over the southern forests.
Its engine produced only a faint hum at altitude, impossible to hear from the ground below. Beneath its long wings, stabilized sensor systems continuously scanned the terrain using thermal imaging and infrared optics.
The forests glowed across the monitor feed.
Heat signatures moved everywhere.
Campfires.
Horses.
Patrols.
Groups of brigands moving between trees.
