The Sovereign, Part One (The Sovereign Saga #1)

The Citadel loomed over the heart of Hyperion Proper like a monolith of absolute power, an architectural titan that seemed to defy gravity itself, its sleek structure a study in form and function.

The base was broad, anchoring it like the trunk of an ancient tree, while the upper levels expanded outward in a sweeping arc, resembling the cap of a colossal mushroom, elegant yet commanding.

The topmost floors, enshrouded in wispy clouds, seemed to dissolve into the atmosphere itself, an ethereal boundary between governance and sky.

It was there, in the highest echelons of The Citadel, where the most powerful Sovereign dictated the course of the city, where policy was shaped and futures were decided—and where I had been summoned.