Cold water splashed onto Chandria, jolting her awake just as she was on the brink of dozing off. The wounds lacing her body throbbed, each ache a painful reminder of the brutal whipping she had endured while tied to a towering post in the plaza. At that moment, a woman's voice whispered near her ear, cutting through the haze of pain and exhaustion.
"Confess that you killed Nia, and your death will be fast."
Blinking her eyes open, Chandria's gaze settled upon Astral, and the memories of the past hour flooded back. The villagers of Howling Peak stood in the distance; their eyes fixed on her with an unnerving intensity. She had once held hope of finding her place in this world, but as she observed them now, she realized how impossible it was. Their hearts seemed lacking in empathy despite
