Banquet of the Shadow RulerThe dining hall deep within the Vortex Energy underground complex felt like a temple dedicated to absolute power. Walls hewn from natural jet‑black lava rock had been polished to a glossy sheen, reflecting the glow of crystal chandeliers hanging high above a ten‑metre‑long marble table. Here, amidst suffocating silence, the rich aroma of premium roasted meat and expensive Bordeaux wine filled the air, mingling with the cold metallic scent of advanced technology operating in adjacent rooms.Mavric Thorne sat upright, his hands clenched tight beneath the table. Beside him, Liora stared blankly at the porcelain dinnerware set before her, but her mind was analysing every detail of the room searching for motion sensors, mapping the positions of armed guards, and identifying weak points in the security systems visible on distant monitors.At the far end of the table, The Matriarch Victoria Thorne cut into her steak with elegant, precise movements, as though pe
Read more