When Adrian returned to the academy that night, he immediately noticed Ariana's absence. She wasn't in her quarters. She had mentioned earlier that she'd be attending a meeting in the capital, so he didn't bother contacting her.
Annabelle, too, had departed—heading east with a few members of Umbral. She hadn't shared much, only that there were strange disturbances detected in the wastelands.
Jean's report had been brief but troubling: the magnetic field in that region was completely unstable, and gravity itself seemed to fluctuate wildly. The cause was unknown, and their limited personnel—two field agents without research expertise—made it difficult to gather solid data.
Adrian had instructed Annabelle to remain cautious, to pull back if the situation turned suspicious. Since communication would soon be out of range, he'd given her an artifact similar to the rings he'd crafted for his fiancées—one that would alert him instantly if she was in danger.
