air in Val's fortress judgment hall was heavy and thick. It was the sort of air that existed right before a great storm—when everything looked still, but underneath, it was bubbling with potential energy. The walls were made of dark stones, making the room look cold and forbidden.

Today wasn’t an ordinary day. And this meeting? This was no ordinary meeting.

A tribunal was in session—a very serious gathering to decide one’s fate. A life was on the line, hanging by a thread.

And in the ...