Chapter 2027

The Project Aether seminar—proposed and spearheaded by Hector—arrived as scheduled three days later in Jamborough. At Mike's request, a large vertical poster featuring two figures stood outside the venue. Its design followed a mystic-inspired aesthetic; deep indigos and soft golds, with subtle celestial patterns woven into the background—one side luminous, the other cloaked in shadow. Shannon's presence was represented by a silhouette. Her dark shadow stretched across most of the poster. Though there was no clear photo, anyone familiar with her would recognize her instantly, from the distinct mudra pose and the side-profile shadow. It was unmistakably her. Though the luminous side, represented by Mike, featured a crystal-clear photo, so polished that even every pore seemed carefully retouched, all eyes were still drawn, instantly and instinctively, to Shannon's shadow. When Lexie led Heston and Cassidy into the venue, she also left a few remarks on the poster. "Shannon doesn't li