In the grand public meeting hall of the Callex Royal Palace, the gleaming floor reflected the soft light pouring in from the aether-laced chandeliers above.
Draped across the obsidian throne at the end of the room, Queen Eleysa of Callex rested with an air of unbothered elegance.
Her long hair tumbled down the side of the throne like a river of moonlight, and her amber eyes lazily tracked the nobles and citizens speaking before her—complaints about crops, security, trade disputes, and petty slights.
She didn't care. Not really.
Her kingdom ran on secrets, on veiled alliances and ancient power. These surface-level matters were distractions, nothing more.
But then, she felt it.
The change was subtle but undeniable. Aether shifted, as if a drop of black ink had entered a clear pond.
Her spine straightened immediately, fingers gripping the armrest of her throne as her pupils narrowed. A silence settled over the room, heavy and strange.
