While the world burned, Ethan was comfortably seated in his private study, swiping through high-resolution holograms. He was browsing catalogs of rare jewelry and vintage artifacts, debating which necklace would best suit Martha, Lily's mother, for her upcoming birthday. To him, the collapse of global superpowers was a background noise he had already tuned out.
"This jade piece is from the Qing dynasty," Ethan pointed out. "Send someone to the Hong Kong vault. I want it on my desk tomorrow."
[Task logged, Master] Crul replied smoothly.
***
The situation was far more than a simple shift in power; it was a total extinction event. In the "New Oval Office"—which President Harrison had frantically relocated to Los Angeles—the air was thick with the scent of cold sweat and expensive scotch.
