Chapter 167

No horns. No alarms. Just light seeping slowly across the land, revealing what had already been decided.

The council gathered at first bell—not summoned, but compelled. Elders stood shoulder to shoulder, warriors lining the outer ring, their faces set and unreadable. This was not a trial. Trials invited argument.

This was a removal.

Summer arrived last.

He walked with the confidence of a man who still believed authority was something he could wear back into place. His spine ...