The eve of the 18th arrived, and Valor City was no longer a quiet provincial hub; it had become a pressurized chamber on the verge of exploding.
From the early hours of the afternoon, the main arteries of the city were choked with a procession of luxury vehicles that seemed to belong to another world. Rolls-Royces, Maybachs, and custom-armored SUVs with tinted glass flowed into the city in a relentless, shimmering river of chrome and carbon fiber. The citizens of Valor City stood on the sidewalks, their phones held high to record the spectacle. They knew the "Big Players" had arrived. They looked toward the skyline, where the glass needle of The Sky Citadel pierced the clouds, and they whispered about the legend that would be born tomorrow.
They believed the morning sun would bring the m
