***
As I awoke to the soft morning light filtering through the curtains, a knock echoed through the room, startling me from my drowsy state. Frowning, I rubbed my eyes and stumbled to the door, where a tense-looking messenger stood, shifting from foot to foot.
"Miss Ava, you are summoned to appear before the Elders," he announced, his voice tinged with urgency. “This is a formal summons on the account of the recent rogue attack.”
My heart skipped a beat, panic coursing through my veins at the mention of facing the Elders, especially under suspicion of treachery. "W-why? What's going on?" I stammered, my mind racing with a thousand possibilities.
Before the messenger could respond, Esme walked into the room, with a smile on her face which disappeared as soon as she saw the look on my fa
