KELLY THOMPSON'S POV

The weight of the undisturbed silence in the council room was heavy on my shoulders as I gathered my most trusted allies around the ancient oak table. Elara Windrider's robes whispered against the stone floor, her presence a calming force amidst brewing tempests. Gamma Thorne's eyes, fierce and resolute, met mine with an unspoken vow of unwavering loyalty. And Eden, my son, sat straight-backed, his youthful visage marred by the gravitas of our dire situation.

"Paul Biansky ...