The evening of the grand engagement Gala arrived under a sky that looked like broken glass. Silent purple lightning flashed through the air, casting a strange and chaotic light over the Crown Domain.
Zen stood before a full-length mirror in his private chambers, adjusting the cuffs of his perfectly tailored Imperial black and gold tunic.
The shadows in the corner of the room suddenly warped, bending inward before spitting out a sleek, familiar figure.
"You clean up incredibly well, Emperor," Nyx purred, stepping out of the darkness. She was still wearing her form-fitting black stealth suit, her purple digital eyes tracing the broad lines of his shoulders with unconcealed hunger.
"Shouldn't you be elbow-deep in Aurelia's central mainframe?" Zen asked without turning around as he adjusted his collar.
