The following weeks became some of the busiest weeks of Aurelion's life.
Ironically, they were also among the quietest.
No wars erupted.
No political crises demanded immediate intervention.
No assassins lurked within shadows.
No noble conspiracies threatened the stability of the Empire.
Instead, Aurelion found himself confronting something far more unusual.
Preparation.
For the first time since the Tower's appearance, he had accepted a simple reality.
His entry was no longer a question of "if."
It was a question of "when."
The realization altered everything.
Before, he had observed.
Researched.
Analyzed.
Now he acted.
