The Imperial City stood beneath a sky that refused to rest.
Dark storm clouds drifted slowly above the sprawling capital, swallowing the moonlight piece by piece as cold winds swept through crystal-lit avenues and towering imperial architecture. Countless buildings glowed with magical illumination, their windows shining like scattered stars across the cityscape, yet despite the beauty of the night, an invisible tension lingered in the air like the calm before a catastrophic storm.
Normally, the evening before the National Championship Finals would have transformed the capital into a festival beyond compare.
The streets should have been overflowing with celebration. Noble districts should have hosted extravagant banquets while academy students flooded taverns and restaurants, arguing excitedly about the final battle awaiting them at dawn.
But tonight was different.
The atmosphere felt unnaturally heavy.
