The city did not sleep easily after the summit in the plaza, because everyone felt that something bigger had begun to move beyond their sight. The air seemed heavier, and even those without awakened blood could sense a quiet tension under normal life. Marcus stood by the wide windows of his headquarters, watching traffic move like slow rivers of light below him. He knew that peace built after war was often thin, like glass that could c***k without warning. The cloaked order had not threatened him openly, yet their calm warning carried more weight than open violence. He understood that what was coming would test not just his strength, but his judgment.
Elena worked through the night in the strategy room, studying maps and reports with steady focus. She had marked several new points outside
