/-Maleek-/

The interrogation chamber was sparse and deliberately depressing—stone walls, minimal furniture, a single window too high to see out of. Aldric had set it up like a prison cell rather than a place for neutral questioning. The message was clear: Zara was already condemned; this was just formality.

I watched from a distance as Aldric began his work, using a connection spell that allowed Draven and me to observe from another room. It was a violation of investigative protocol—he'd ...