The morning in Anbord was quiet. Too quiet.
Ethan sat alone on the balcony of his private quarters, hair ruffled by the gentle hum of the floating gardens surrounding the imperial spire. For once, peace had lasted more than a day. The sun overhead pulsed with warmth, and the skies shimmered faintly with the reflection of the empire's barrier dome.
He exhaled deeply, his eyes half-closed, feeling the lazy hum of the day beneath his skin. Then his communicator flickered.
A faint chime echoed in his mind, a priority signal. It was low-grade at first, almost a false alarm. Then it came again. Louder. Urgent.
Ethan frowned. "Hmm?"
He reached out mentally, pulling the feed into his vision. What he saw made his expression freeze.
