The polished stone of the Grand Assembly Plaza felt like ice beneath his feet, but Lin Tian didn't feel the cold. He felt the weight of the ironwood chest under his arm, and the heavier weight of the names inside it.
His footsteps were the only sound in the wide, empty space as he walked toward the Council of Peaks chamber, the massive doors carved with frost and mountain peaks.
Two guards in silver-gray armor crossed their halberds before the entrance. Their eyes widened when they recognized him, then dropped to the chest. They knew.
"Special Investigator Lin," the one on the left said, his voice tight. "The Council is in emergency session."
"Good," Lin Tian said, his tone flat. "Then they're ready for my report."
The halberds lifted. The doors, ten feet tall and thick as ancient trees, swung inward without a sound.
