The night air carried a chill that had nothing to do with the weather. David stood on the rooftop overlooking the Sun Palace, its golden spires gleaming like captured starlight against the darkness. Even from this distance, the structure radiated an oppressive warmth that made his skin prickle with unease.
Perfect, he thought, analyzing the patrol patterns below. Guard rotations every twenty minutes, blind spots at the eastern corners, and Veylith's intelligence suggests minimal magical detection on the servant levels.
A sharp spike of pain lanced through his skull, and David's hand instinctively moved to his temple before he caught himself. The power suppression was getting worse, the careful balance he maintained over his abilities felt like trying to hold back a dam with his bare hands. His fingers trembled slightly as he reached for the Umbra Veil mask.
"Master," Luna's voice whispered from his shadow, concern threading through their bond. "Your aura is fluctuating again."
