When humans first arrived in the Beyond, Pacthold had been the first place they established. It was their earliest foothold. It was where they built their strongest infrastructure and their most reliable information network. Anything that came out of Pacthold was rarely just noise. It was usually a warning.
"Did you find anything about their intentions or power levels?" Henry asked. His voice stayed calm, even as his eyes narrowed on the report.
"No, sir. Their features are hidden under dark robes. Based on what we collected, we assume they are strangers to the region. As for their power level…" The voice paused, attempting to be cautious with what he was about to reveal. "Most likely all are Rank 4 Practitioners, if not higher."
Henry didn't ask how they reached that conclusion. He didn't ask what methods they used. That unit was the best intelligence and observation team he had. They were trained for this exact kind of early detection, the kind that happened before panic spread.
