A few hours later, the council meeting began inside a vast hall at the center of the settlement. The chamber was large enough to accommodate dozens of people, yet only seven seats stood at the center of the room for the members of the council. Six of those seats were occupied. The seventh remained empty as they waited for the final member to arrive.
The six council members were all old. They wore identical black robes that covered their bodies from their shoulders to their feet, making them appear almost like dark statues sitting beneath the dim light of the hall.
Their faces carried the same expression of exhaustion and displeasure. Deep lines covered their skin, years of failure had left a visible weight in their eyes. None of them looked optimistic about the meeting.
