Jasmine's hands kept trembling, even after the chamber doors banged closed behind her. The Council’s decision continued to throb in her mind like a tolling bell. They hadn’t criticized her—not verbally—but they hadn’t cleared her name either. She’d walked out alive, technically proven by the Soul Trial, but the weight in their eyes told a different story. To them, she wasn’t Luna, wasn’t a leader in waiting. She was something else entirely. A weapon. A mistake. A question of how long before she exploded.

Caleb strolled beside her, their arms lightly touching. He kept quiet, jaw clenched, yet his silence was more powerful than any caution he might have voiced....