Ward lowered the tablet after confirming the command room's prep time. "Twenty minutes. Enough to show them the surface level of what they're dealing with."
Albert nodded once and motioned for the three adventurers to follow. The food stalls behind them remained busy—soldiers clustering around tables, some grabbing quick meals on rotation, others lingering with cups of coffee. The adventurers lingered too, but the promise of understanding this overwhelming place pulled them away.
Ragna wiped the last of the biscuit crumbs on her sleeve and fell in beside Mira. Lyris kept a slight distance behind Albert, studying everything he passed like a scout mapping unknown terrain.
The group followed the main paved road. The texture under their boots was still something none of them could reconcile. It didn't bend. It didn't crack. It didn't feel like stone or clay. Lyris crouched at one point, running her fingers across it again.
