Ispire's executive floor was usually a hive of high-stakes energy. But today, the silence was heavy, almost oppressive. With Darien absent, the primary source of the building's gravity had shifted, leaving a vacuum that only one man was capable of filling.
Theron stood near his desk, his back to the massive floor-to-ceiling windows that offered a panoramic view of the sprawling industrial skyline. Below, the city moved like a rhythmic machine, unaware of every supernatural thing that happened. Theron didn't look at the view. His eyes were fixed on the glowing tactical HUD projected above his desk, a complex web of logistical data, security feeds, and Aether-dampener status reports.
His phone chimed, a low, rhythmic pulse that indicated an encrypted line from the Dravik estate. Theron answered it before the second beat.
"Yes, Darien?" Theron said answered
