The door to the star shuttle slid open with a smooth mechanical hiss, and three figures descended onto the surface of Cyrus, landing just a short distance away from the trial site.
The first to emerge was a young man whose face carried an expression of unmistakable arrogance, as though the very act of setting foot on this planet was beneath him.
Behind him walked a middle-aged man radiating a dignified and composed aura that seemed to settle over the surroundings like the weight of authority made visible.
Last came an old man with a full head of white hair, his aged features carrying the quiet depth of someone who had lived through more than most could imagine.
The seven family heads had barely taken a moment to register the trio before recognition flashed across their faces, their eyes locking onto the middle-aged man with a mixture of surprise and wariness that neither of them could fully conceal.
