March 6th, 1939.
The grand hall of the Winter Palace was silent, the air thick with anticipation. Hundreds of high-ranking officials, ministers, military officers, and diplomats filled the expansive chamber, each face set in stony determination. The ornate golden chandeliers cast a somber glow over the assembled crowd, casting long shadows against the walls decorated with the banners and crests of the Ruthenian Empire. No one spoke; they waited, breath held, knowing the weight of this gathering. The Empire stood at a precipice.
