I didn’t realize the High Council chambers could feel this cold until I stepped inside. The air was heavy with judgment, the kind that presses down on your chest, makes you stand straighter than you want, makes your pulse follow someone else’s rhythm. Silver torches flickered along the dark marble floors, throwing long, accusing shadows. Every step I took echoed like a warning.

Caleb was beside me, silent but steady. His eyes swept the perimeter like he expected threats everywhere. He insisted on coming, even though he knew the Council wouldn’t honor any protection. I could feel the weight of it all—the gaze of centuries-old authority, creatures and leaders who...