Orion stood at the edge of the observation deck, his palms resting lightly against the cool glass. Earth turned slowly below him, wrapped in the soft blue glow of restored oceans and the thin silver lines of orbital transit routes. He breathed in deeply, feeling the heavy pressure from his breakthrough finally smooth into a steady, quiet rhythm inside his chest. The vault doors sat far beneath the mountain now. The empire was holding steady. The quiet felt earned, but he knew better than to trust it for long.
A soft ripple cut through the air behind him. No warning chime. No sudden burst of pressure. Just footsteps.
