Naomi’s Pov

The morning of the hearing felt heavier than the ones before it.

Not louder. Not frantic. Just dense. Like the air had weight to it and every breath mattered. I noticed small things more than usual: the sound of shoes on marble, the click of a pen cap somewhere down the hall, the way my hands stayed steady even when my chest wasn’t.

Cassian watched me get dressed without hovering. Jacket. Shoes. Hair pulled back. Nothing dramatic. Just ready.

“You don’t look nervous,” he said.

“I am,” I replied. “I’m just not panicking.”

“That’s better,” he said. “Panic gives them control.”

We left together. No back entrances. No...