The violet hue of the atmospheric array pulsed rhythmically against the obsidian glass of my private sanctum, like a silent heartbeat for an empire that was currently swallowing the world. I stood alone, my loose black robe open at the chest, feeling the hum of the Dragon Palace through the soles of my feet.
"Vexa," I murmured, the word barely leaving my lips before the holographic interface bloomed into life.
"Master, the synchronization is at ninety-four percent. The integration of the Halveth ley-lines has caused a minor surge in the central ether-capacitor, but the system is holding. Would you like a status update on the front lines?"
"Give me the sensory feed," I replied. "I don't want reports. I want to see."
