"The bandaids are coming off."
For three seconds, the only sound in the maintenance tunnel was the low hum of Nyx's defensive drones.
Zen frowned, staring at the flashing red network covering the projected globe. "What bandaids? Be specific, Nyx. What exactly are we looking at?"
Valeria didn't wait for Nyx to answer.
She stepped closer to the hologram, her golden aura flickering in sudden agitation. "The Empress warned us about this," Valeria said in a tight voice. "During the High Council summit last week."
"Wait," Zen interrupted, raising an eyebrow. "You five actually meet in the same place? I am genuinely surprised you haven't leveled a continent yet."
"It is a highly encrypted holographic projection," Nyx clarified dryly, not looking up from her data stream. "If we ever shared a physical room, Valeria would attempt to stab someone within four minutes."
Valeria shot Nyx a death glare, but she didn't actually deny it.
"She's currently calm because you're here," Nyx added.
