Der 9. November: Roman

In the marble‑lined foyer of a Berlin government building, the austere General von Hecht‑Babenberg descends the granite stairs with the measured grace of a man used to command. A thin, poisonous‑green envelope is thrust into his hands, its garish colour and lack of sender offending his sense of propriety. While the porter's nervous murmurs echo around the high ceiling, the General folds the note with a cold, barely concealed irritation.

His attention is suddenly drawn to a strange figure at the doorway—a small, blue‑pale man whose eyes flash like steel, his presence both enigmatic and unsettling. The General watches as the mysterious visitor follows his limousine through the damp, twilight streets of a winter‑shrouded Berlin, a thin wisp of smoke trailing behind. The encounter hints at a hidden rivalry and a brewing conflict that will test the General’s resolve.