Nova was shown to his room in the royal palace by a servant who refused to speak beyond the bare minimum.
The moment the door closed behind him, Nova swept the space with a lazy glance, already aware of the magic hidden within the walls.
He could feel the trace amounts of aether—subtle, but present—clinging to corners and the surface of the mirror, even layered beneath the wooden frame of the bed.
He let out a small sigh and raised his hand. Aether whispered at his fingertips and surged forward in invisible waves, unraveling the enchantments one by one.
Surveillance nodes were disabled silently. One of them—planted behind the ornamental vase—shattered without a sound.
Another, woven into the curtains, fizzled and melted into dust.
A rustle came from the corner.
Without even turning around, Nova was already moving.
Aether snapped forward, binding the neck of the hidden figure hiding in the shadows. They dropped to the ground with a soft grunt.
