By the time Mark arrived at the Citadel through the pathways of his personal lifts, Citadel actually looked perfectly normal as if nothing has really happened.
'Uncle Mark!' Princess Valrie Shai called for his name the moment he appeared as she leapt out of a stone that was situated in the plaza. Mark's expressions softened as she ran towards Valrie and brought both hands out.
'I...was worried...' Mark said, 'My little princess...I thought you are...'
Then, he noticed the cuts and bruises on Valrie's body. Taking a closer look at the flawless environments around them again, Mark's smile stiffened.
'My little princess...what do things really look like here?' He asked, his voice heavy as Valrie looked to the side with a pained expression.
Then, the layer of projection cast over the Citadel by Valrie is removed, and Mark saw the true extent of the damage done by the invading forces.
