The Council Room was just as I remembered it.
Dark stone, high ceilings, and no windows. Just a central candlelit chandelier, casting flickering shadows on every surface.
The atmosphere in the room had the same weight as the last time I visited, or perhaps even heavier - in the aftermath of Vale and Zhen's revolt, but somehow I felt better equipped to bear it.
I stepped into the chamber with Luc just behind me. Cain and Abe waited outside the door.
Inside, nine council chairs awaited - only seven now filled. Two remained untouched, as if Vale and Zhen might return at any moment and resume their seats.
They would not.
"Miss Roen," said Councilor Han, the eldest among them. His voice was slow but steady, deepened by decades of rule and quiet caution. "You are welcome."
He gestured toward my seat left empty at the head of the table.
