Naomi’s Pov

The threat stopped pretending to be abstract.

It arrived as a calendar invite.

No drama. No warning. Just a neatly worded notice routed through three channels, stamped with authority and urgency. A public hearing. Limited scope. High visibility. My name at the center, Cassian’s orbiting it like a question mark they wanted answered for them.

I read it twice. Then I set the tablet down and didn’t touch it again.

Cassian watched me from across the room. He didn’t rush in. He didn’t ask what it said. He waited until I looked up.

“They want a stage,” I said.

“Yes,” he replied.

“And a wedge,” I added.

“Yes.”...