Inside the mid-tier fortress that served as the Blade Syndicate's headquarters, Marcus Skeiner stood stiffly before Zachary, the air between them heavy enough to suffocate. Zachary's expression was dark, his eyes cold and sharp, as if a storm were gathering just beneath the surface.
"What's going on in Blackridge?" Zachary asked at last, his voice low and tightly controlled. "How did the Nocturne Order manage to secure an Advanced-tier fortress?"
Even hearing the words made his chest burn. The capital he had poured into Ethereal had long since crossed the line from investment to obsession, becoming an abstract, humiliating number he no longer liked to think about. Back when he had first built his power base in the Harmony City region, he had been driven out during the Starter Zone era by Ethan. Forced to retreat, he had shifted south to Springhaven, propping up the Blade Syndicate as his new spearhead.
