The early morning sun had barely crested the jagged eastern peaks of the Supreme Citadel when the harsh, echoing sound of raised voices shattered the quiet peace of the residential corridor.
Inside her warm bedchamber, Lin Wan woke slowly, her dark eyes blinking open against the pale morning light streaming through the silk curtains.
She lay still for a brief second, listening intent to the muffled friction outside.
The thick, iron-reinforced oak doors muffled the spoken words, but the sharp, unyielding tone of one voice unmistakably belonged to Captain Ronan.
The other voice, deeper and rougher with a distinct military edge, was entirely unfamiliar to her.
Lin Wan carefully shifted her weight, using both arms to push herself upright against the plush mountain of pillows.
A quiet grimace touched her face as her lower back throbbed with a dull, heavy ache, but her focus remained fixed on the entrance.
"What is going on out there?" she asked, her voice raspy from sleep.
