The next morning arrived with a crisp stillness, broken only by the distant hum of shifting energy lines that pulsed beneath the city's streets. World Heart City was awake in a different way today—there was a quiet tension in the air, the kind that heralded great gatherings or looming power plays.
Asher stepped out onto the balcony of their inn, his eyes sweeping across the city. In the distance, the towering Spire of Assembly shimmered under the early sunlight. Its crystalline structure rose into the sky like a blade splitting clouds, humming with energy only World Rankers and beyond could properly sense.
Valeris joined him, dressed in a flowing onyx robe lined with faint golden veins that pulsed like a dragon's heartbeat. "The banquet's being held at the Spire's heart. Only those deemed worthy will be let in without challenge."
Asher nodded. "And those not deemed worthy?"
