"Proceeded according to design. She overextended herself precisely as you foresaw, creating the perfect opportunity for Angelina to demonstrate the stabilization techniques we needed to observe. The data we gathered will prove invaluable for the final phase."
Melusina listened to this exchange with growing horror. The entire battle—the marketplace destruction, the magical duels, the apparent random chaos—had all been orchestrated. Every participant had been manipulated, their actions predicted and their responses calculated to serve some larger, more terrible purpose.
Angus rose from his chair and approached Melusina with the measured pace of someone who had waited centuries for this moment. "You're wondering about the scope of what you've witnessed," he said, reading her expression with unsettling accuracy. "Allow me to enlighten you."
