Rain poured over Alika City, soaking its black towers and bronze rooftops. A thick mist covered the streets, making it difficult to see beyond the nearest buildings.
At midnight, the great bell of the Central Citadel began to ring. Its heavy sound carried across the capital, waking people in their homes and drawing confused faces to windows and doorways.
Soon, the sound of marching boots filled the streets. Soldiers in dark armor entered through the city gates, carrying weapons and black banners marked with a coiled iron serpent.
They were not ordinary city guards. They belonged to General Senraki's elite frontier army.
Within an hour, his soldiers had taken control of the communications towers, granaries, and armories. No alarm had been raised. Officers who had secretly joined Senraki's side opened the smaller gates beneath the city walls and helped his troops disarm the guards on duty. Those who refused to cooperate were killed.
