Far from the streets of Cinderfall, in a fancy building, a young woman stared at a glowing screen. The air here was clean and calm. This was the embassy of the Silver Phoenix Empire, a small piece of a foreign land placed in the heart of a rival nation.
The woman was Ariana. Her hair was tied back in a simple bun, and her face, usually calm and composed, was tense with focus.
On the screen in front of her was the official public report from the Cinderfall City Guard about the fight in the alley. It was full of covered-up words and unclear sentences. It talked about a "small gang fight" that had gotten out of hand. It mentioned an "unforeseen escalation of violence." Frankly, it was an obvious and poorly written lie.
With a quick move of her wrist, she pushed the report away, making it disappear. "Not useful," she said.
