The doors to the trial hall creaked open once again, their hinges groaning like ancient bones.
"You may enter now." The priest announced, voice steady but unreadable.
Ren, Zuzu, Thorn, and Lilith stepped back into the trial hall, their footsteps echoing against the floor.
The air was filled with a tense anticipation, feeling like a heavy, invisible tide pressing against their skin.
The elders sat in the same crescent formation, faces unreadable.
At the center, the High Elder stood once again.
"We have reached a verdict." She said, and the quiet hall seemed to breathe in.
All eyes turned to Zuzu.
"Zuzu, daughter of Ram." The High Elder began, voice solemn. "You have broken the laws of our people. You departed without permission. You entered a forbidden conflict. And you brought outsiders into the heart of the Mare Dulce."
Zuzu clenched her fists, jaw tight.
