In the shadowed chamber of the underground general meeting, whispers buzzed like a swarm of insects.
The revelation that the Solaris Empire would not let Jin remain in Darkan sparked a cascade of schemes. For the underground leaders, this was a golden opportunity: wait for Jin to be pried from the Darkans' grasp and then strike.
Ralph, seated among the Mistars, felt a chill of unease. Naturally, he was an exception to all of this. The thought of his brother Baines being taken by the empire or anyone else gnawed at him. 'What to do?' His frown deepened, his mind racing for a way to shield Baines from clawing hands.
"What's wrong?" Mirta, the Mistar leader, asked, noting his troubled expression.
"Uh, nothing," Ralph replied, shaking his head to refocus on the meeting. Mirta's eyes narrowed briefly before returning to the platform.
