The council chamber buzzed with low, urgent voices as Selene took her place at the head of the table.

Stone benches scraped softly as nobles shifted, some leaning together in whispered alliances, others sitting rigidly apart. Old rivalries simmered beneath polite nods. No one raised their voice, yet the tension pressed heavily against the vaulted ceiling, as though the room itself were holding its breath.

Torches lined the stone walls, their flames steady, but the air itself felt ...