The council chamber looked less haunted by daylight and more like a courtroom. Stone walls caught the morning glow through tall windows; cameras blinked in corners; slim black microphones dotted the length of the obsidian table. The torches still burned in their sconces, but they were for ceremony now. The true light came from recessed LEDs—a modern pack wrapped around ancient bones.
Elders filled the half-circle with seats, dark suits pressed, and expressions unreadable. Wardens stood behind them like a wall of black muscle. A few younger advisers quietly tapped at their tablets, already logging the session for the official record.
Talia stood in the witness space, Alina at her side. Her sister’s chin was lifted just a little too high—the way she got when nerves tried to show, and she r
