After the transmission with Dican had ended, the room remained hushed, broken only by the occasional buzz of incoming data and the rapid tapping of keyboards. Xing Yu stood unmoving, a storm raging behind his silver eyes. Jian paced restlessly, looking on the verge of panic. Eren stared at his communicator, as if willing the entire situation to reverse.
Then, another ping.
Eren quickly tapped the screen and read the new incoming message. His brow furrowed. "We've just got an update," he said tightly. "The First Prince's fleet is officially en route. They should reach Earth's orbit within the next cycle."
Xing Yu barely moved. "And?"
Eren hesitated, then continued bitterly, "Apparently, Dican's 'mate' was… too delicate to stay on Earth. That's why they had to leave. He was scared, overwhelmed. They're justifying the retreat because of him."
