The smoke from the ventilation shaft had long since dissipated, carried away by the high-altitude winds of the Overlords Academy. The sun was rising on a new day, but the atmosphere on the floating island was heavy, charged with a tension that no amount of sunlight could dispel.
Alvian stood in the center of the Headmaster's office. It was a room of intimidating luxury, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the sea of clouds below. Books floating in mid-air were chained to shelves, and artifacts of immense power sat casually on desks like paperweights.
Behind the massive mahogany desk sat Headmaster Valerius. The old man looked weary. His beard, usually groomed to perfection, was frayed, and his eyes held the weight of a century of compromises.
"The Vice-Headmaster is in a stasis cell," Valerius said, his voice grave. "The evidence you and the Silent Watchers provided was… irrefutable. Bio-alchemy. Human experimentation. Treason against humanity."
