An hour later, they were still deep into talks with recruits, his lieutenants having tken over the briefing.
From his place at the head table, Cain watched Elara and Axil aggressively haze the new recruits, their faces illuminated by the holographic map of the Black Markets.
He should have been focused, strategizing, but a nagging unease tugged at the edges of his mind.
It was a feeling he couldn't quite place, like a discordant note in an otherwise perfect symphony.
(It felt lke dread.)
Suddenly, the world tilted.
A wave of static crashed over Cain's senses, the familiar hum of the System turning into a screeching cacophony.
His vision blurred, the holographic map dissolving into a swirling vortex of colors.
Alarms blared in his mind, a frantic chorus of warnings that rattled
