The council chamber smelled of sandalwood and secrets.
From the narrow crack between the carved wooden doors, I could see the ring of Elders seated beneath the great jade lantern, their robes heavy with authority and age. Their voices were hushed, but the tension in the air was enough to make the walls hum.
Yan stood beside me in the shadowed corridor, arms crossed, face unreadable. His eyes, however, were far too calm. The kind of calm that came before a storm.
"They are late," I whispered.
"They are deciding how to bury me," Yan said quietly. "You don't rush that kind of discussion."
I frowned. "You think they'll really…"
He didn't answer, but the ghost of a smile flickered at the corner of his mouth. "You'll see soon enough."
Through the crack, Elder Hu spoke first. His voice as sharp as a sword edge. "This calamity began when he arrived. The beasts, the corrupted sigils, the shattered wards… all follow the trail of Yezhen."
A murmur rippled through the others.
