"You betrayed us," a Nue'roka elder said coldly.
"I survived," Eben replied, meeting the elder's gaze.
"And I learned their plans in the process. Which is why Jorghan brought me here—not for redemption, but for intelligence."
"Then share it," Korreth said.
"What are the Empire's intentions?"
Eben moved to the center of the circle, his movements still carrying a scholar's precision despite everything he'd endured.
"The Empire's goal is complete elimination of the Twelve Clans. Not subjugation—extinction. They view elven bloodlines as resources to be harvested, not people to be negotiated with."
"We knew this already," Vel'moth growled.
"You knew their objective," Eben corrected.
"But not their timeline or their methodology. The Empire has divided the continent into sectors. Each sector has a dedicated hunting team—Haelves led by enhanced human commanders. The team assigned to this sector is led by two people, the siblings, Caden and Constance."
