The Royal Palace was a labyrinth of silver stone and hushed secrets, especially at night. Following the chaos of the beast attack in the Solar, the atmosphere had shifted from festive to clinical. The grand hallways, usually echoing with the light laughter of courtiers, were now patrolled by squads of Royal Knights with stone-cold faces. Within the medical wing, the air remained thick with the scent of bitter herbs and the sharp, clean aroma of high-grade mana-potions.
Liera smoothed her dress, her shoulders aching from a long day of monitoring the mana-circuits and physical health of the Royal Family. Because the wards had been compromised by the summoning, the King had commanded the Empire's top healers to remain within the palace walls for "observation", a polite way of saying they were on high alert for any lingering dark corruption that might have taken root in the shadows.
