Chapter 86 The Calm Before

• The meeting hall of the Central Council hummed with quiet intensity, a fragile warmth fighting the ever-present chill that crept through the steel walls. Rows of officials sat around a long oval table, holographic maps flickering above it — territories reclaimed, outposts established, and the slow but steady lines of progress stretching across the frostbitten nation.
• General Orwen stood at the head, hands clasped behind his back. “The data confirms consistent growth. Since the incident with the feral python months ago, mission success rates have increased by over seventy percent. Civilian losses are now at their lowest since the Freeze began.”
• The Minister of Agriculture leaned forward, face illuminated by the faint blue light of the projection. “Food production has stabilized in five major sectors. The new soil treatment is performing beyond expectations — high-yield crops are flourishing under artificial heat. Poultry systems remain steady, and livestock mortality is down by thirty percent.”