But the more Gabriel pulled at the threads, the more they frayed into nothing.
An encrypted itinerary here, stripped of destinations.
A shipment log missing half its signatures.
A medical requisition that cut off mid-entry, the rest replaced with a block of static-filled ether corruption.
Edward's frown deepened as another search came back with only a red banner across the display: No Data Found.
Gabriel's eyes narrowed. "That's not missing… it's been erased."
Edward's fingers flew across the interface, bypassing two more security layers before the system finally spat out a terse administrative notice: Central Imperial Archive, Section VII-Destroyed during the siege, Year 863, Month 3. Cause: fire damage during the rebellion.
"Six years ago," Edward said, sitting back in his chair. "Half of what you're looking for is ash. And the other half… someone decided wasn't worth salvaging."
Gabriel's jaw tightened, but his voice stayed smooth. "Or was worth hiding."
