The atmosphere inside the great pavilion was taut, the air thick with incense and mana crystals glowing softly overhead. Patriarchs and matriarchs of every house had been summoned, their gazes fixed on the trembling overseer who stood in the center.
The man swallowed hard before speaking. "An incident occurred last night. While Selene von Iskandar and Noel Thorne were resting in one of the designated caves, the drone assigned to track them was destroyed. The last image captured showed a cave-in. Since then, we have had no further visual or magical contact."
A heavy silence fell across the chamber. Then Albrecht rose to his feet, his presence alone enough to chill the air. His voice cut through the tent like a blade.
"You waited until morning to report this?" His green eyes burned with fury. "You could have woken us the moment the signal failed. Do you understand what might have happened in those hours? What if they're already dead?"
