The hall glowed red from the torches, the air thick with the scent of steel and oil.

King Ravi of Varynth stood before the throne table, a damp letter trembling between his fingers. The wax seal of Haspan Cosmoses' messenger lay broken on the floor like a curse undone.

The royal general, Lord Driath, waited in silence as the king's eyes swept the message again. His jaw locked, his voice low but thunderous.

"They've found her," Ravi said.

"The hybrid Omega... alive, in ...