The obsidian-black sports coupe slid into a vacant spot in the premium parking lot of the Spirit Martial Academy, its customized energy engine cutting off with a soft, melodic hum that vibrated through the asphalt. As the gull-wing doors hissed open, the air around the vehicle seemed to shimmer with a residual, high-frequency resonance.
Leo Shaw and Sonya Sutton stepped out of the car simultaneously. The sight of them together was enough to cause a collective intake of breath from the students and parents lingering near the entrance. They were a vision of power and aesthetics—a high-tier liaison and a Sovereign who had, quite literally, disappeared from the world for the last forty-eight hours.
From the moment the Awakening Ceremony had concluded two nights ago, until this very morning,
