The grand hall of the city council stood in utter silence.
Only the echo of Elizabeth's footsteps filled the marble floor.
Dressed in deep black velvet, her eyes were sharp and unwavering.
At the base of the staircase waited a young man in a dark blue cloak — Seraphim, her most trusted knight.
> "My lady, are you certain you wish to face him unguarded?"
"I am," Elizabeth replied softly but firmly. "Because if we do not stand today, the truth will be buried forever."
She walked past him with quiet grace, her golden hair swaying gently in the draft from the high windows. Then she stopped — and spoke clearly:
> "Tell Varlen that I will attend the hearing — but not as the defendant."
"I will attend as the one who raises questions, and I demand that he include his own corruption and conspiracy in the agenda."
Turning her back on the messenger, she addressed her knight once more.
> "As for you, Seraphim… tonight, you have more important things to do."
The sharp sound of her heels faded into the vast hall —
leaving behind only silence, heavy with the weight of courage.
The marble floor still shimmered from the moonlight filtering through stained glass.
Seraphim stood alone in the middle of the grand cathedral, her black cloak trailing behind her like a whisper of shadow.
In her hand — the silver sigil of the Order of Light — glowed faintly, pulsing with life, as if reminding her that duty always comes before peace.
Her voice, low yet steady, broke the silence.
"More important things…? Then so be it."
The heavy door creaked open. A cold wind swept in, carrying the scent of iron and distant rain.
Beyond the gate, the sleeping city stretched below the mountain — unaware that tonight, its fate rested in the hands of one who had once been called fallen.
Seraphim fastened her cloak and stepped into the darkness.
The moment her boots touched the stone stairs, the sigil flared — burning bright as if awakened by the name of an ancient vow.
And far above, on the highest spire, the moon watched silently —
its light bending around her figure,
as though the heavens themselves remembered the angel she once was.