“What recording?” Adrian asked. His voice remained steady, but his fingers tightened around the document before him.“A statement Lionel your uncle made shortly before his death,” Ethan answered. “Since you have accused me of using his assassination to remain in power, you should hear what he feared before he was killed.”Harsh noise came from the device before Lionel’s voice filled the conference room. He described companies connected to Adrian financing violent political groups. He spoke about Casper refusing to surrender Titan Crest’s transport network to Adrian, and he revealed that Adrian had threatened to remove anyone standing in his way.Adrian’s face became rigid when Lionel mentioned the order suspending his access to the Aurelion Family Trust. He waited until the recording ended before pushing his chair backwards.“That voice could have been altered,” Adrian said. “Lionel is dead and cannot confirm any of this. You are using damaged words from a dead man to save yourself Et

Three days after Adrian’s arrest, the Tribunal Army released its official report to the public. The statement confirmed that Adrian Aurelion had been charged with murder, attempted murder, political violence and interference with the suspended election.The evidence included payments from companies linked to his campaign, surveillance records and the three recovered operations against Lionel Aurelion, Casper Yulian and Janet Yulian. Parts of Lionel’s final recording were also released after the Tribunal removed information that could endanger the witnesses.Ethan did not appear in any of the footage. The public saw the evidence screens, Adrian’s campaign records and the Tribunal spokesperson who announced the charges. Ethan’s identity as Supreme Leader however remained protected.Citizens who had defended Adrian gathered around public screens in silence. Many had believed his speeches against the curfew and supported his demand for the election to continue. They now watched investiga

The heavy doors closed behind Ethan with a deep sound. He stopped for a moment and studied the private commissioning hall. Everything inside looked clean, expensive and carefully arranged.A wide platform stood at the centre of the hall. Screens around it displayed pictures of damaged spinal nerves, artificial limbs and patients learning how to walk with robotic support frames. A medical bed and several nerve-monitoring machines stood behind a glass wall.The words NATIONAL PARALYSIS RECOVERY PROJECT appeared across the largest screen. Beneath them was the green and silver symbol of VerdaLife Biotech.Only a small number of guests had been allowed into the hall. Several medical leaders, three Khagan Council representatives and senior members of the Verda family sat near the front. The journalists outside were watching a different presentation that did not show Ethan or the private ceremony.Six Tribunal soldiers entered with Ethan. Two remained near the doors, while four of them forme

Ethan struck the floor with his shoulder. The force of the push drove the breath from his lungs, and the activation key bounced across the platform.One second later, gunfire filled the commissioning hall.Bullets tore through the silver circle where Ethan had been standing. The control panel behind it broke apart as sparks, glass and pieces of metal flew across the platform. Several bullets struck the exact height where Ethan’s chest had been only moments earlier.The person who had pushed him dropped over his body and forced his head against the floor.“Do not move!” the stranger shouted. The heavy gunfire made the voice difficult to recognise. “They are still aiming at the mark.”Ethan tried to raise himself. “Who are you? Get off me!”Another line of bullets passed above them. The stranger grabbed the back of Ethan’s jacket and pulled him away from the open centre of the platform.Hilton’s staff screamed and ran in different directions. Some crawled behind the rows of chairs, whil

Ethan stared at Selene as gunfire continued across the commissioning hall. Her face looked thinner, and tiredness filled her eyes, but she was awake. She was also holding a gun as though she had prepared for this attack long before entering the building.He reached for her arm to make sure she was real. “How did you leave the hospital? Lorne told me you could not open your eyes or respond to treatment.”Bullets struck the top of the equipment base. Selene pulled Ethan down before pieces of stone could hit his face. “This is not the time for those questions. The shooters are moving closer.”“Were you ever in a coma?” Ethan demanded. His eyes moved towards her pregnant stomach before returning to her face. “What did Lorne hide from me?”Selene removed the empty magazine from her handgun and replaced it with another one. “If you want the truth, stay alive long enough to hear it.”Ethan remembered every strange part of his final call with Lorne. The brigadier general had refused to answer