The roar that erupted from General Titan was not merely a shout; it was a sonic boom that shattered the humid night air of the Haven River. It ripped through the deck of The Sovereign Pearl, vibrating in the marrow of every socialite, tycoon, and politician present. The sheer force of the sound caused ear drums to ring with a persistent, agonizing hum.
Warrant Officer Garrick didn't just freeze; his mind went completely blank, the gears of his military training grinding to a halt against a reality he couldn't process. Beside him, Sebastian Sterling looked as if he had been struck by lightning. The arrogant smirk that had defined his face for years vanished, replaced by a mask of pale, sweating wax. In the periphery, the members of The Lynn Family—Caroline Lynn, Martha Pierce, and even the
