The council chamber was cloaked in shadows, the high torches flickering above casting long, trembling lines across the marble floor. Rayne stood in the center of it all, spine straight but heart buckling beneath the weight of silence.
She had been asked the same question a dozen different ways.
And each time, she gave the same answer.
Yes, she had lied.
Yes, she had forged her identity.
Yes, she knew it was against the rules.
But no—she did not regret coming to Blackmoon.
Because it had been the only way.
And now, she was about to lose it all.
Councilor Varric’s voice cut through the stillness. “You understand, of course, that deception of this magnitude is not something the council can overlook. The Academy is built on discipline and transparency. You entered this sacred institut
