Mikhailis leaned back in his chair, letting out a deep, weary sigh as the chaos of the retreat from the syndicate's underground base played in his mind. His eyelids fluttered shut, the tension weighing on him like a stone. He'd made the right decision, but that didn't make the loss of those worker ants any easier to swallow. Sacrifices had to be made, but it was never simple—not when each decision had consequences he could feel in his bones.
"Why so tense, Your Highness?"
The soft, familiar voice pulled him out of his thoughts. He opened his eyes, quickly turning off the numerous tabs on his glasses' display, concealing the live feed from the chimera ant retreat. As the images vanished, he looked up to see Lira standing in the doorway, her posture graceful as always, holding a steaming cup of tea. Her dark eyes held a hint of curiosity as she stepped into the room.
