Geras let the frozen image of Commandant Vael stay on the screen.
Elias stared at it longer than he wanted to. Vael did not look frightened in the paused frame. He looked prepared, which was worse. Fear could be honest. Prepared meant someone had already decided what could be sacrificed.
Geras resumed the feed.
Vael turned from the reporter and addressed the cameras again.
"We are investigating every source of unauthorized shard activity, including failures inside our own command structure. No officer, contractor, or civilian partner will be protected from review."
That line made the press surge. The audio filters swallowed most of it.
Vael continued through the noise.
"The affected citizens under our supervision remain human beings. They are sons, daughters, workers, students, soldiers, and parents. Some are afraid of what they have become. Some have already shown discipline under conditions most people will never survive."
Elias felt that land harder than he expected.
