As I stood there, alone at the centre of power and scrutiny, one truth settled deep in my bones.
No matter what verdict came next, nothing would ever be the same again.
I did not plan to say it.
The words were not rehearsed, not shaped gently for a council that preferred lies wrapped in ceremony. They tore their way out of me, raw and burning, because silence had become heavier than truth.
The chamber was already tense from everything I had said before. My admission of meeting the DarkBreeds still hung in the air, sharp as smoke after fire. I could feel eyes on me from every direction, some furious, some curious, some calculating how best to use my downfall if it came.
Selene stood across from me, arms folded, chin lifted. She looked calm. I felt she was too calm as though she believe
