Dawn arrived beneath a sky of pale gold and fading silver, washing the Imperial City in a cold morning light that carried none of the peace usually associated with sunrise.
The city woke restless.
Not gradually.
Not quietly.
But violently.
Before the first merchants fully opened their storefronts, before noble servants completed their morning preparations, before academy bells rang across the districts—
The announcement appeared.
Golden projection arrays ignited simultaneously above every major avenue of the capital, flooding the streets with radiant light. Massive runic formations unfolded across the sky like layered suns, illuminating rooftops, towers, marketplaces, and military plazas alike.
Citizens stopped mid-step.
Carriages halted.
Even aerial transport beasts circling above the city slowed as riders lifted their heads toward the glowing heavens.
Then the words appeared.
Clear.
Massive.
Impossible to ignore.
---
National Championship – Semi Final Match
