The great bells of the Nexus Citadel tolled, their deep, sonorous notes echoing across the marble courtyard. As the sound faded, a hush fell over the gathered families, the nobles, and the dignitaries that filled the vast space. Even the airships circling above seemed to slow, casting drifting shadows like silent witnesses. Huge holographic projections floated all around Anbord, projecting Ethan's coronation live.
At the heart of it all stood Ethan.
He was not dressed in heavy regalia or armored in the imperial warplane of legend. Instead, he wore a flowing black coat embroidered with gold and red sigils, the markings of old Anbord—a blend of king, knight, and something wholly transcendent. His golden eyes, burning softly, swept across the faces of all present.
By his side stood his Empresses, radiant and formidable. Each of them represented a pillar of his reign, a living extension of his will. Together, they formed the Kael'Dri — the dynasty that would reshape the world.
