The ether‑car purred as it passed through the gates, its crystal core humming low beneath the hood, the sound vibrating faintly through the seat beneath Gabriel's hands. The early light of morning scattered across the lacquered body of the convoy, glinting off mirrored panels and the faint glyphwork etched into the sides for warding.
They rolled into the main courtyard of the old palace, a place that felt like it had been built to impress first and function never. Gabriel stepped out as the door lifted and folded back, the faint hiss of pressurized ether releasing into the air.
