Meanwhile,

Author

The echoes of Malphas’s declaration had barely faded, and the hall was still soft with the quiet warmth of the reunion, when a sharp, tinny chime sounded from the comm device tucked at Aria’s wrist - low enough that only those standing closest heard it. She did not flinch. She did not pull away from Malphas. She simply lifted her left hand, tapped the silver band once, and brought it to her mouth, her posture relaxed but her focus sharpening like a blade.

“Report,” she said quietly, her voice steady and clear, no trace of alarm.

From the speaker, Scorpio’s voice came crisp and immediate: “Perimeter breach. Three...