The emergency briefing came at 3 AM Washington time.
Secretary of Defense James Mitchell rubbed his eyes as he entered the Pentagon's secure conference room, his coffee still steaming. Around the oval table sat the usual suspects—CIA Director Patricia Kane, NSA Deputy Director Robert Chen, and a handful of military brass who looked as exhausted as he felt.
"This better be good," Mitchell muttered, settling into his chair. "Dragons showing up worldwide is crisis enough without dragging me out of bed."
"It's about the dragons, sir." Kane slid a thick folder across the polished table. "Our analysis suggests they're not just random appearances. There's coordination. Purpose."
Mitchell flipped open the folder, scanning satellite photos of massive winged shapes over seven different continents. The images were grainy but unmistakable—creatures that belonged in fantasy novels, not intelligence reports.
"So they're organized. Big surprise." He looked up. "What's the threat assessment?"
