Before she could analyze the data any further, a sharp knock echoed at her door.
Elara opened her eyes, instantly resetting her posture into a perfect, vertical line of authority. "Come in."
The heavy oak door opened, and Mahir stepped inside.
He did not remain by the threshold as protocol dictated. He closed the door behind him, the heavy locking mechanism clicking shut with a definitive sound. Elara's glass-bead eyes immediately tracked his movements. His usual stoic, military discipline was completely absent. His golden eyes were dark, burning with a raw, intense energy that bypassed all imperial logic.
He walked purposefully toward her desk. He stopped just a few feet away, his broad chest rising and falling heavily.
"Master," Mahir said, his voice a low, gravelly vibration that resonated in the quiet room.
