In the imperial palace, a tense meeting unfolded within the emperor's opulent chambers, its walls adorned with glowing runes and tapestries of conquests. The emperor sat at the head of a polished obsidian table, his presence commanding despite the faint pallor of illness. Flanking him were his successors alongside the Third Imperial Commander, Kiol Malakar, and the head of the Darkan family. Their faces were grim, the air thick with unease.
For months, after hearing of the storm's movements, the Vodal Kingdom had demanded answers for the disappearance of one of their family's gods. Due to the immense pressure they put up, the emperor had summoned the Darkan head to recount the war's details—what happened and what didn't—to craft a response.
Normally, Solaris would have dismissed such accusations with a sneer, blaming the Vodal's defeat. But with the storms' presence, they had to be careful, lest a full-blown war occur. And the storms' sudden silence wasn't a good omen.
