The Council chamber was filled with tension.
Ethan sat at the head of the table, his eyes scanning the faces of the representatives gathered before him. They had come from across the world—from Portside, from the eastern settlements, from the northern mountains, from the hidden cities that had emerged from the shadows. They were leaders, warriors, scholars, and dreamers. And they were looking to him for guidance.
But today, they were not looking to him for guidance. They were looking to him for judgment.
"The Network has grown beyond anything we imagined," Mara said, her voice steady. "But with growth comes challenges. We have received reports of corruption, abuse of power, and conflicts between settlements. We need to address these issues, and we need to do it quickly."
A murmur ran t
