"Move!" Akhil's voice cut through the air as he shielded his eyes from the blinding light.
He pushed Aria slightly behind him, bracing himself for a possible explosion.
A brilliant white light burst outward—but the explosion he expected never came.
Cautiously, he lowered his hands. From the radiance emerged a hologram of a young boy, his bright green eyes fixed intently on Akhil. His short, bowl-cut golden hair hung just low enough to shade his eyes.
"Good day, leader of the orcs," the boy said with a calm smile. "My name is Langdon, leader of Norclin City, one of the human settlements."
Akhil stared at the hologram, his expression sharp with curiosity. Questions pressed at the edge of his mind, but he kept silent, choosing instead to listen.
Around them, the orcs had begun to gather. Drawn by the flash of light and Akhil's earlier warning, they formed a loose circle before the glowing projection.
