The hour that followed felt both too long and too short simultaneously.
Palace officials moved through the assembled delegates distributing small wooden boxes, one per person. The boxes were uniform, unmarked save for a subtle glow emanating from whatever lay inside.
Raze accepted his box and opened it to find a bracelet resting on a velvet lining. The thing looked impossibly advanced, a metallic surface inscribed with patterns that seemed to shift when observed directly. Tiny crystals were embedded at regular intervals, pulsing with soft light that suggested active enchantment rather than passive decoration.
"Put them on," an official announced. "Left wrist, clasp should adjust automatically."
Around the courtyard, delegates complied with varying degrees of caution. Raze slipped the bracelet over his left wrist and felt the clasp tighten smoothly, conforming to fit perfectly without discomfort.
The response was immediate.
