The shadows they were chasing would prove far deeper and more extensive than any investigation could reveal, while the truth they sought remained hidden behind layers of deception sophisticated enough to turn their own thoroughness into blindness that served enemy objectives better than their own.
But even as the Continental Intelligence Council mobilized resources for comprehensive response to their perceived Level Nine threat, the true scope of the Light Guardian network was preparing to reveal itself in ways that would fundamentally alter the balance of continental power.
High above the crystalline spires of Celestial Harmony Academy, where ancient towers pierced the sky like frozen lightning, a figure moved through the evening air with grace that defied conventional understanding.
