[LOCATION: Ares Royal Fleet - Central Command Vessel "Eternal Pyre"]
[LOCAL TIME: 18:47 Fleet Standard]
The purple energy dissipated like morning mist, revealing Noah and Bruce standing in the main corridor of the Ares fleet. The transition from Earth's afternoon sunlight to the ship's warm, thermal-regulated atmosphere was jarring, but Bruce adapted quickly, his eyes scanning and cataloging the new environment.
The first thing he noticed was the heat. Not uncomfortable, but noticeably warmer than standard ship operations, with a quality that suggested the energy was being actively managed rather than simply generated by life support systems. The walls themselves seemed to pulse with contained warmth, veins of red energy flowing through channels carved into the metal surfaces.
"Welcome to the Eternal Pyre," Noah said, gesturing toward the approaching figures. "The king runs a very... distinctive operation."
