The council did not panic.
That would have been forgivable.
They convened calmly, efficiently, with prepared notes and neutral expressions. Every voice was measured. Every decision framed as precaution.
That was what made it dangerous.
By the time the doors sealed shut, the room already believed it was acting responsibly.
“The external breach cannot be ignored,” the High Councilor said, fingers steepled before him. “Contact was made within the keep.”
“Unverified contact,” one councilman interjected quickly.
“Unclaimed,” another corrected. “But undeniable.”
The councilwoman inclined her head. “Which means our current permissive stance has failed.”
Across the chamber, Damien remained silent.
He had learned that silence, here, carried more weight than argument.
“We allowed visibili
