Lucien had not slept that night.
The capital lay quiet beneath the dark sky, its wide streets lit only by rows of lanterns and the steady glow of guard posts along the walls. From the balcony of the western tower the entire city looked peaceful.
Most people would have believed it.
Lucien did not.
He stood with one hand resting on the stone railing, watching the distant lights of the lower districts. Somewhere far below, a dog barked once and then fell silent again.
Everything seemed normal.
Yet the air itself felt heavier.
Lucien closed his eyes slowly.
For years he had trained his senses to read the movement of blood energy. It was not a skill many people possessed, but the Blood Council valued it highly. It allowed him to detect hidden rituals, forbidden spells, and disturbances that ordinary mages could not feel.
Normally the capital's energy flowed like a quiet river. Thousands of bloodlines moved gently through the city at all hours.
Tonight that river felt disturbed.
