Nothing. Just dead air.
Emily's heart raced with terror. "Sebastian!" she called out loudly. "SEBASTIAN!"
Sebastian appeared from the adjoining room within seconds, already alert. "Emily?"
"Alexander's line cut out," Emily said urgently. "He was saying something about soldiers mobilizing. Something happening in the palace. Sebastian, we need intelligence from Norvale. NOW. What's Marcus doing?"
Sebastian was already on his laptop, pulling up satellite feeds and intelligence reports. "Checking—one moment—" His expression turned grim. "Emily, I'm seeing unusual military activity in Norvale's capital. Troop movements. Vehicles deploying. This is—this looks like preparation for civil control operations."
"What does that mean?" Emily demanded.
"It means crackdown," Timothy said, his voice hard. "Marcus is preparing to suppress the resistance before it can grow. Emily—he's going to arrest people. Probably anyone he suspects of viewing the evidence portal or supporting you."
