Ariella's POV
The meeting reconvened later that day, and as I stepped back into the senate chamber, I could feel the weight of what had happened earlier pressing down on me. The faces of the seniors, once dismissive and skeptical, now showed a hint of wariness. I had made my stance clear, and they hadn’t expected it. But what came next would decide everything.
The silence in the room was thick as the session began, no one daring to speak first. My heart raced, the tension settling in the pit of my stomach. I felt a little nervous, not because I was unsure of what I said, but because this was the first time I had truly faced off against the seniors. I wasn’t sure if I could convince them, and that doubt gnawed at me. But I knew I couldn’t afford to back down. Not now. Not ever.
If I bac
