The room was heavy with silence, all eyes on me as I stood before the council, my heart pounding in my chest. Every breath I took felt like a battle.
Elias was behind me, his presence unwavering. I didn’t need to look at him to know he was there, solid and unshakable, offering the strength I lacked. But the weight of this moment wasn’t just on me. It was on all of us.
“We cannot afford to wait any longer,” I said, my voice steady, despite the storm brewing inside me. “Our future isn’t tied to Magnus, nor is it tied to Elias. It’s ours, and ours alone. We must take control of our destiny.”
A murmur spread across the room. I could feel the eyes of the council members, some skeptical, some intrigued, and a few downright defiant. But I had to push forward. There was no turning back now.
On
