Chapter 53: The Table Without Two
The Council Room was just as I remembered it.
Dark stone, high ceilings, and no windows. Just a central candlelit chandelier, casting flickering shadows on every surface.
The atmosphere in the room had the same weight as the last time I visited, or perhaps even heavier - in the aftermath of Vale and Zhen’s revolt, but somehow I felt better equipped to bear it.
I stepped into the chamber with Luc just behind me. Cain and Abe waited outside the door.
Inside, nine council chairs awaited - only seven now filled. Two remained untouched, as if Vale and Zhen might return at any moment and resume their seats.
They would not.
"Miss Roen," said Councilor Han, the eldest among them. His voice was slow but steady, deepened by decades of rule and quiet caution. "You are welcome."
He gestured toward my seat left empty at the head of the table.
I was no longer wearing the ceremonial robes that the likes of Cassian paraded me around in. This time, I chose a soft gray suit that fit well but did not intimidate. I wasn’t here to declare power.
And more importantly, I wasn’t here to let myself be a symbol for anyone.
Councilor Han stood. "Before this body reconvenes in full function, let us acknowledge the silence that rests upon these walls. Two of our own have been... removed. Let their names be absent from roll, but not from consequence."