The aftermath of the villa explosion left no time for rest. The Repository's schematics stolen by Lirien hinted at a larger plan—one that could destabilize the entire kingdom. I didn't need a soothsayer to tell me her next move. She wasn't just targeting infrastructure. She was coming for the Mana Core itself.
"She's upping the stakes," I said, pacing in my private chamber. The faint hum of my replicas monitoring the Repository filled the room.
Karina sat at the table, sifting through the confiscated blueprints we'd recovered. "This isn't sabotage anymore. It's outright war. Lirien's aiming to cripple the kingdom at its core."
"Which means we need to hit her before she makes the next move," I replied, my tone colder than I intended. "The question is—how do we bait someone who's always one step ahead?"
Karina leaned back, her fingers drumming against the table. "You'll need to do something unpredictable. Something she won't see coming."
