Chapter 199: Unsettling Peace

The great imperial city of Celestia thrived with its usual bustle and vibrancy. Shops were alive with commerce, carriages rattled through the streets, and wolf shifters moved about with purpose. Amid the smiles and frowns of its people, most wore serious expressions as they went about their daily lives. Despite their varied moods, one thing was constant: they were all alive and breathing. Yet, beneath the city’s surface vibrancy, a shadow of unease had settled. It had been a week since the shocking death of Albert Novikov, Ophelia’s sudden disappearance to Fireria, and Nikolai's mysterious vanishing into the unknown. The city pulsed with life, but the castle, in stark contrast, was shrouded in gloom and anticipation. Preparations were underway, and there was a palpable sense of waiting— waiting for something to unfold. Vladimir, deep in thought, hung upside down from a tree branch in the castle’s training area. The training grounds were wide open, exposed to the sky above. Viktor and