—August 11th, 2032 | 3 Days Until Integration | 22 Days Remain—
A somber silence enveloped the conference room, the cabinet members' expressions marked by gravity. The normally bright ambient lighting seemed dim and subdued, casting shadows that deepened the lines on the older members' faces.
"Did they kill any of our people?" General Michaels inquired, his voice slicing through the tension.
"Thankfully not," Evalyn replied, shaking her head. "The Immortals only sustained major injuries; no civilians were harmed. However, fifty-six Lainwright soldiers perished, and animosity towards Sky Plane cultivators has skyrocketed because an unwounded cultivator attacked indiscriminately without discussion."
Upon learning the dire scenario, Kylie's eyes widened in terror. "Why would they do that?"
After feedback, I'm dedicating more time and practice to pacing. From now on, I'll keep developments in two chapters, events in three chapters, and major operations (i.e. attack on Immortal Skye or battle of the shipping yard) to less than five chapters.
I struggle with pacing, constantly struggling to balance clever dialogue and descriptions with the story. I've been doing research on how to improve it, so expect results. ^_^