Alister's grip tightened on the railing, the metal groaning faintly—crk. His gaze hardened, fixed on the rising sun, its warmth doing little to thaw the chill settling in his bones. Kai Li's threat echoed in his mind, a specter of despair that refused to stay buried, and he knew this dawn marked the beginning of something far darker than he'd anticipated.
Suddenly, a sharp ding echoed, and a translucent red system window materialized before Alister, its edges crackling with static.
Bold, jagged text glowed at its center, framed by ominous brackets:
⫷『System Notification: House War Declared』⫸
Draven, bound to House Hazenworth, has engaged in conflict with House Oboros.
Celestial law recognizes this as a formal House War. All affiliated members are now subject to its consequences.
The window pulsed once, its crimson light casting a fleeting glow across Alister's face, then dissolved into the air, leaving only the faint hum of mana in its wake.
