Liam woke to find a black envelope on his nightstand.
Not unusual by itself—he received correspondence constantly now.
Military reports, economic briefings, complaints from House leaders who'd been subordinated but weren't happy about it.
But this envelope was different. The paper was so dark it seemed improbable. No seal or markings. Just his name written in silver ink that glowed faintly in the pre-dawn darkness.
*Lord Azra, the Primordial*
He opened it carefully, half-expecting some kind of trap or magical compulsion.
Inside was a single card with three words written in the same glowing silver script:
*The Fourth Order awaits.*
Below that, an address in Eldhar's lower districts. And a time: midnight tonight.
Liam stared at the message, his mind racing through possibilities. He hadn't ordered any meeting.
Hadn't heard of anything called the Fourth Order.
