The imperial capital was dying.
What had once been the proud heart of the empire—a city of towering white spires, ancient spiritual academies, and countless layered defensive formations—had transformed into the center of an unfolding catastrophe powerful enough to scar reality itself.
Massive fractures spread across the colossal barrier dome surrounding the capital, each crack glowing with unstable spiritual light as if the heavens themselves had been wounded. Ancient runes embedded within the barrier flickered erratically, some exploding into showers of blue-white sparks while others dimmed completely beneath the pressure of overlapping sovereign authorities.
Far below, panic consumed the streets.
