Late summer did not arrive quietly this time.
There was no gentle transition. No slow easing into the season.
Instead, it brought tension. The kind that settled in slowly at first, then refused to leave.
Reports started coming in from different territories. At first, they looked like isolated cases. One extraction here. Another there. Nothing too unusual on the surface.
But then the pattern began to form.
And once people saw it, it became impossible to ignore.
An emergency Assembly session was called.
The atmosphere in the chamber felt different from the moment Aria stepped in. Conversations were shorter. Faces more serious. Even the usual greetings felt… distracted.
Something was wrong.
The intelligence coordinator stood at the center, a collection of reports spread out before him.
"These are not isolated incidents," he said. "We have confirmed twelve extractions across four territories in the past two weeks."
A quiet ripple moved through the room.
