Liliana stood quietly on the balcony of her room, her gaze cast over the city of Sirius below. It was nearing midnight, but the capital never truly slept. Lights sparkled gently from the central towers, and the distant hum of hovercrafts drifted through the cool night air. The stars were especially bright tonight, scattered like divine runes across the velvet sky.
A soft flutter drew her attention, and she extended her hand without looking. A red sparrow landed gently on her fingertips. From afar, it looked as if she were merely admiring a peculiar bird in the moonlight. But those who knew her, truly knew her, understood that Liliana Bloodstone never entertained idle hobbies.
The sparrow chirped once, then twice. Liliana tilted her head slightly as the encrypted transmission reached her ears through a spell laced into the bird's heartbeat. She closed her eyes and listened, her expression unreadable.
Another failed assassination attempt. Interesting!
