"What the actual fuck just happened at the council hall?!"
Tiago's voice cut through the thick tension in the dimly lit room. He stood near the window, his fists clenched, his entire body vibrating with disbelief. His heart still pounded from what they had just witnessed.
Helen slammed a goblet onto the table, her nails digging into the polished wood. "That little witch….." she snarled, her face twisted with rage. "How did she become so powerful? This wasn't supposed to happen!"
Layla sat on the velvet armchair, her breath uneven. She was still in shock, fingers gripping the armrest so tightly her knuckles had turned white. "You mean to tell me that was Haelyn?"
Her voice was laced with something between doubt and denial.
Arthur sat still at the head of the table, fingers tapping a slow rhythm against the wooden surface. His face betrayed nothing, but his mind was a storm.
"That wasn't her," he muttered finally.
Everyone turned to him.
