KAEL POINT OF VIEW

The council chamber felt thick with noise I no longer had patience for.

Voices droned on about borders, supplies, and patrol routes, but none of it held my attention.

Something sharp and unsettled coiled in my chest, a restless irritation that refused to quiet. I was already on edge when the doors creaked open.

A soldier stepped inside.

He didn’t lift his head, didn’t announce himself the way protocol demanded. His shoulders were tight, his breathing uneven.

Fear ...