"Trust is not given—it is forged in fire, tested in the moments when doubt would be easier than belief."
The War Chamber
The scent of ink, steel, and burning candle wax filled the war chamber. Maps and intelligence reports were strewn across the heavy wooden table, their edges curling from overuse. The room was thick with tension, every general and advisor waiting for my command.
But tonight, for the first time in a long time, I wasn’t standing alone.
Aria stood beside me, her presence a force in itself—radiating power, control, and an unshakable certainty that I could no longer afford to ignore.
"We don't have the numbers," Halstead grumbled, his thick fingers tapping against the parchment. "We barely recovered from the last war, and now you want us to march against another enemy?"
