Meanwhile, in the observation balcony's private alcoves, events far more consequential were unfolding.
Caspian Alyon had been sitting in his assigned Council seat throughout the entire preparation period, his trembling hands gripping the armrests, his hollow eyes tracking the six teams with the focused intensity of someone watching a trial that would determine his own fate.
But as Aldwyn announced the final fifteen-minute mark, something shifted in Caspian's posture.
He stood slowly, moving carefully, as if attempting to minimize attention. He wasn't trying to stand out. He was trying to disappear.
None of the other Council members even glanced in his direction. Leandros was too focused on analyzing the team dynamics.
Fauna's voluptuous frame was reclined in her seat with such casual indifference that she barely acknowledged the trial's progression.
