The council chamber was colder than usual.
Not physically—but in its silence.
Thick with judgment.
With doubt.
With fear.
Ivy stood at the center, flanked by Kael on her left and Professor Velar on her right. Across from her sat the twelve robed Elders, their expressions like carved stone.
Elder Malric rose, his voice clear.
“As of now, Ivy Thorne—also known as Ivy Sinclair—is declared a Dual-Blood. Moonborne and Shadowborn. Unprecedented.”
He looked at her.
“To retain her place in the academy, she must pass the Trial of Truth.”
Ivy’s heart skipped.
“Trial?” she echoed.
Malric nodded solemnly. “A magical reckoning. We place you within an illusion of your greatest fears. If you succumb—you lose your mind, or worse. If you overcome it, we acknowledge your right to remain. As a st
