"My own theory is that they saw something coming and chose to remove themselves from proximity to it."
"What's coming?"
"I don't know exactly. But something is building. The demon incursions that the military keeps fighting aren't random. They're probing, testing defenses, measuring responses, and retreating before full engagement."
She leaned forward slightly.
"Someone in Ciyyati is organizing them, sending them through in controlled groups to gather intelligence. That's not how demons behave naturally."
"Someone is directing them."
"Yes. And whoever it is has been doing it patiently, systematically, for decades."
Cornelia held his gaze.
"The Council knows about it. They're responding by tightening control, increasing surveillance, and expanding their military capacity. But they're doing it quietly because acknowledging an organized threat from Ciyati would require explaining things they'd rather keep buried."
