A suspicion quietly took root in Ethan's mind. A containment field on this scale was no small feat. Could Morzan really be the one behind it?
The thought refused to settle. It gnawed at him, raising deeper questions he had no answers for. Just who was that old man, really? And how many other hidden, god-like players were lurking on this planet, quietly shaping events from the shadows?
The thin barrier ahead posed no physical resistance, so Ethan restarted Shatterstar's engines and guided the ship forward. The vessel slipped smoothly into Magnolia Valley's airspace.
The change was immediate.
The air itself felt heavier, as though an invisible weight pressed down on everything beneath the sky. It was subtle, but unmistakable, an oppressive presence that made the skin prickle.
"We deal with the closest problem first," Ethan said as he brought the ship to a controlled halt. "We can check on Meatball while we're at it."
