Arkveil Cathedral had once been a sanctuary. Now, it was just another battlefield.
Kai stood at the center of the war room, hands behind his back, as tension crackled between the remaining harem members like unstable mana.
Yuri paced near the cracked stained glass, fists clenched and boots echoing like war drums. Her eyes were wild, hair disheveled, and armor half-fastened. "She's a traitor. Again. And we're still acting like we owe her a rescue?"
Astra didn't look up from her arcane circle. "She didn't betray us. She was taken."
"Taken?" Yuri scoffed. "She walked out!"
"She was possessed."
"You're possessed!"
Kai slammed a rune crystal into the table. It shattered, silencing the room with a sudden gust of mana.
"Enough."
They turned to him. Not like a leader. Like a breaking point.
He exhaled. Slowly.
"We've found her."
[System Ping: Location Trace Complete]
Subject: Seris Nightflame