Eirenne's investigation into the ruined plaza did not end with the device's destruction.
The first conclusion had been simple enough. Hask Renn had attempted to open something linked to an abyssal space, and Cassian's precision strike had destroyed the device before the breach fully formed. That was the part everyone could understand.
The rest was less comfortable.
Several drones remained in Vortan Redoubt after the haze thinned, moving through the scorched plaza and the surrounding streets while hazard teams worked from the edge.
The central device was gone, but residue still clung to the ground in dark patches that did not behave like normal ash.
When floodlights touched it, the substance pulled back slightly, not enough to be called alive, but enough that nobody wanted to step closer.
Aurelian watched the feed from the Black Crown while Eirenne guided the drones deeper into the damaged district.
"Do you need support?" he asked.
