The echoes of the judgment still lingered in the grand hall of the Royal Court.
The velvet drapes, thick and ancient, hung unmoving. The torches flickered softly, casting long shadows across the golden floors. The crowd had dispersed — nobles whispering among themselves, soldiers glancing over their shoulders, advisors murmuring in hushed tones as they exited the chamber with hurried steps and hollow eyes.
But not all left.
A few remained… tethered to the storm that had just passed.
The Royal Family lingered at the heart of it all — the only ones rooted in place as the dust of treason and betrayal slowly settled around them.
Heiko stood still, breath even, body firm… but within, he was anything but steady. The wolfsbane had faded enough to let his soul breathe, to let his emotions ris
