Dawn broke over the northern peaks, washing the obsidian spires of the Blackthorn Citadel in a brilliant wash of gold and amber. The syndicate threat had been entirely neutralized, the captured operatives handed over to the High Council for interrogation, and

Six months.

In the span of half a year, the geopolitical landscape of the northern territories had undergone a seismic, permanent transformation. The old regime—built on a rickety foundation of forged credentials, purchased council votes, and institutionalized bullying of