"Now tell us—how is this a continental crisis?" Valemir finally spoke, his voice low but firm, slicing through the heavy silence. "You've proven this is Sylvathar's blood… but what makes this an issue for all of Amthar? Why should every kingdom be alarmed?"
Mystica gave a small bow. "Of course, Your Highness."
She dismissed the floating blood orbs with a flick of her fingers, then gently waved the corpse of Aveline back into her dimensional vault.
"A few weeks ago," she began, "Galen Magna and Magnus Yaer were dispatched to the Ruined Lands. A rift had appeared—one we suspected might be Sylvathar's point of entry."
Murmurs stirred at the mention of the Ruined Lands.
"But instead of Sylvathar himself," she continued, "they encountered a Gaia demon. Not just any—this one was stronger than anything on record. A mutated force. A monster. According to their report, this demon had both a name and a title: the right hand of Sylvathar."
