The descent into the ruins had left Celestine Vaeloria shaken, but she could not afford to falter. She and her companions emerged from the underground passage just before dawn, the skyline of Noctis-Lux shrouded in an eerie, pale mist.
The city, once a beacon of progress, now felt like a fortress of deception.
"We need to return to the palace," Celestine said, adjusting the clasp of her cloak. "If the Council truly plans to drain the remaining cores, they won't act quietly. We need to see how deep their corruption runs."
Elias Draven arched an eyebrow. "And what makes you think they'll simply let you walk back in?"
Celestine shot him a glare. "Because I am still their Queen."
Alistair Dorne, ever loyal, stepped beside her. "And if they suspect you know the truth?"
Celestine exhaled, her gaze locked on the towering spires in the distance. "Then we prepare for war."
By the time they reached the outskirts of the Ivory District, Celestine could already sense the shift in the atmosphere. The streets, usually bustling at this hour, were eerily subdued. Guards patrolled in heavier numbers. Automaton enforcers stood at attention, their movements too precise, too calculated.
The Council was on edge.
Elias, his hood pulled low over his face, observed the security with mild amusement. "They're expecting something."
"Not something," Celestine corrected. "Someone."
They made their way through the marketplace, the scent of smelted metal and steam filling the air. Vendors eyed them warily, whispering behind their stalls. The tension was suffocating.
As they neared the grand staircase leading to the Obsidian Palace, a contingent of Royal Sentinels blocked their path.
The captain, a towering man clad in silver-trimmed armor, stepped forward. "Queen Vaeloria," he said, bowing stiffly. "The Grand Chancellor requests your presence immediately."
Celestine's jaw tightened. Aldric Vaughn.
She had ruled beside him for years, believing him to be a trusted advisor. But now, doubt seeped into her every thought.
She straightened her posture. "Then I will not keep him waiting."
As she ascended the palace steps, flanked by her companions and the ever-watchful Sentinels, a thought echoed in her mind.
If the Council had been lying to her… then Aldric Vaughn would answer for it.
And if he had betrayed Noctis-Lux?
Then she would tear down the throne herself.
The storm had begun.