**Gaia’s POV**

The throne room of Snow Mountain’s compound carried the weight of faded glory. Stone walls etched with ancient runes loomed high, torchlight flickering over the small group of surviving nobles gathered around the rough-hewn table. The air was crisp with mountain chill, seeping through cracks in the structure, a constant reminder of the territory’s harsh isolation. Astrein stood beside me, his golden presence a quiet pillar of support, but he deferred to my ...