Chapter Three: Seven Hunters

“But the chain of cost does.” The subordinate contract forced Han into motion. He turned and ran toward the cockpit. Every screen in the cabin went black. Movies, route maps, and reading displays vanished. One second later, the same city appeared on all of them. Golden towers hung inverted over an ocean of clouds. Wrecked airships formed a circular wall. Dozens of runways pointed into empty sky like drawn swords. At the city’s center, a ceremonial gate taller than the clouds slowly illuminated. 【The Celestial Exchange welcomes eight candidates home.】 【The Ascension Auction will begin early.】 【Final asset: Lordship of Cloud Capital.】 【Required collateral: the entire futures of all 287 passengers aboard this flight.】