Emergency Rises

Ahcehera was still adjusting to the peaceful days after Carmela's arrival, but the moment she was summoned to the palace by her father, she knew that something had gone terribly wrong.

She dressed swiftly, tying her silver hair into a neat ponytail and fastening the communication device on her wrist.

When she entered the imperial study, the atmosphere was tense. Her father, Emperor Dan Bloodstone, stood by the grand window overlooking the capital, his expression unreadable.

"The academy is under lockdown," he said without preamble. "And something is happening on Agartha's base. We lost contact with several units."

Ahcehera stiffened. The academy going into lockdown was already concerning, but Agartha's base was one of the most heavily fortified locations in the empire.

For it to experience disturbances at the same time meant there was more to this than just an isolated incident.

"Do we have reports on what caused it?" she asked.