After Leo’s simple declaration in the training room, Roman spoke very little.
The instinctive certainty with which the boy had recognized him through nothing more than scent had shattered the last illusion of control inside Wolfe Tower. Every carefully constructed wall Roman had spent years building now carried a crack that could never be repaired.
Unfortunately, the world he ruled had no patience for personal revelations.
The system Roman commanded did not slow down for grief, guilt, or sentiment. Power demanded constant attention, and weakness was punished the moment it became visible.
The call from the Council arrived shortly before noon.
The secretary’s voice was formal, cold, and completely devoid of courtesy.
It was not a request.
It was an announcement.
News of the attack on
