Nathan's POV

　　The night air chokes with tension, the moon a glaring witness overhead. I stand before the restless crowd, my knees treacherous in their shaking. I'm a marionette with cut strings, a king who has lost his crown in the eyes of his people.

　　"Listen, all!" My voice tears through the silence, rough as gravel. It's a command, but it sounds more like the plea of a man teetering on the edge of ruin.

　　I step forward and nearly trip over my own ...