Gabriel sat in the Emperor's study, his gaze fixed on the glowing interface of the desktop computer powered by ether. He skimmed through the reports, the translucent runes flickering faintly across the surface. The numbers and connections should all be in sync. Everything in front of him should make sense. But it didn't.
He exhaled sharply, his fingers tightening around the stylus as he tapped it on the surface in thought. His previous weeks' findings had all pointed to a single thread, but there was something off, something missing. The supply routes, resource distribution, and chain of command—one critical link eluded him, preventing him from solidifying his conclusions. Something was really wrong with the ether exploitation site, but he couldn't figure out what.
Gabriel knew better than to dismiss that feeling. The Ministry of Magic had gaps in its records, and it wasn't mere incompetence. It was intentional.