5th April 1677
Akhand Bharatiya Empire, Imperial Capital-Bengaluru, Simhasana Bhavana
'Sigh,' a suppressed breath escaped Vijay's mouth.
Sitting in the royal palace, surrounded by a wall of reports, he lightly massaged his temples with a pained expression on his face. Vijay had already lost count of how many times he had sighed today. The news he read gave him a splitting headache; its contents unpleasant, to say the least. Despite the intelligence covering only parts of the Middle East and not the whole region, it was already so depressing that he couldn't even imagine what the situation further north would be like. Every time he thought about that fact, it felt like someone had poked a hole in his lungs, leaving him breathless.
"Is it really that bad of news, Father? "Agni, looking worried, something extremely rare considering his personality, enquired.
Vijay looked at his son, let out a defeated breath once again, and shook his head.
