The room was way too silent. The kind that pressed against your skin like cold iron.
Only three of us stood in the ritual chamber beneath the palace: the King in his ceremonial robes of obsidian and gold, Lucas standing quietly to my right with his eyes on the floor, and me, clutching my hands behind my back to stop them from trembling.
The chamber itself was carved from black stone, etched with glowing runes that pulsed with a silver hue. A basin stood at the center, filled with shimmering water that reflected no face. It was said to show only the truth. The ceiling above was open to the sky, and tonight, the full moon blazed down on us like a silent witness.
I turned to the King, my voice steady despite the way my heart raced. "Are you sure there's no other way?"
