Morning arrived at Castle Zero, but the fog outside remained as thick as ever. Dayat stood in The Heart of Logic, his eyes bloodshot from a lack of sleep. They stung every time he blinked, but he was too tense to close them for long. Beside him, Dola sat with her white cape draped around her. Her face was calm, but her hands occasionally clenched in her lap—fingers curling, nails digging into her palms.
One by one, the others entered. Kancil came first, his hair a mess—he had jumped out of bed the moment Dayat called. Loy and Riri followed behind him, their eyes still heavy with sleep. Lunethra was the last to arrive. Her green dress was slightly wrinkled at the sleeves; she likely hadn't slept at all. Dalgor was already in the corner near the control panel, his hand gripping a cup of cold coffee.
Dayat didn't sit. He stood, scanning them one by one. The room was silent, save for the constant hum of the binary panels.
"There's something beneath the castle."
