: Lucien pov

“You can’t just erase the old structure.”

I looked up from the council table. Three elders stood across from me. None of them looked afraid. That was still new.

“I’m not erasing it,” I said. “I’m ending it.”

One of them, Jonas, folded his arms. “Those systems kept Bloodmoon alive.”

“They also kept people silent,” I replied.

Another elder shook her head. “Command chains exist for a reason. Decisions take too long without them.”

“Yes,” I said. ...