Chapter 48

The Hall Master stood frozen. Her breath hitched in her throat, a cold stillness gripping her lungs as she slowly turned toward the center of the hall. The air had changed, thickening with a presence that felt both infinitely ancient and strangely familiar. Before her and Commander Stone, a figure had appeared. He looked human-like, draped in a simple robe that seemed to ripple with shadows, yet his eyes held the depth of a void that had witnessed the birth of stars. Commander Stone, usually...