The council hall was quieter the next morning, but the tension from the night before still hung in the air.
Lucien entered first. Reid was at his side this time, shoulders tense, while Nyla followed with arms folded, her eyes scanning the hall.
It wasn’t just another meeting, everyone could feel it. This was the kind of gathering where a single word might start a war.
Nicholas was already seated, his scarred face grim and unbending. Oliver sat beside him, his chair tilted back slightly, an arrogant smirk tugging at his mouth.
Soraya Drew sat opposite them, hands folded neatly, watching without speaking.
The three councilors couldn’t have looked more different. Nicholas… hard and bitter, clinging to the past.
Oliver… young and restless, ambition shining in his eyes, as though every w
