There is a distinct, heavy comfort in gravity that one only truly appreciates after leaving it behind.
When the celestial vessel descended through the planet's exosphere, it did not burn. It did not roar or leave a blinding trail of kinetic exhaust across the pre-dawn sky. Elara maintained her localized void-shield with terrifying, flawless precision, allowing the sleek, pitch-black ship to slip through the atmospheric layers like a ghost passing through a solid wall.
By the time they reached the Oakhaven valley, the morning mist was still thick and cold, clinging to the ancient trees that guarded the manor.
The ship settled onto the cobblestones of the primary courtyard in absolute, perfect silence.
