Silence hung over the Guild Hall like a drawn blade. It wasn't the fragile quiet that follows fear or the brittle stillness of shock; it was something heavier, more profound.
This was the silence of inevitability, the kind that settles in when all possible outcomes have been weighed and dismissed, leaving only one path forward, a path no one wanted to take but everyone could see.
Sage stood with an air of calm, leaning lightly against the desk with his arms crossed and his expression composed and unreadable. He didn't press his advantage or break the silence; he let it work for him.
Across from him, Mina's elder sister stood rigidly, shoulders squared and chin lifted, her gaze fixed straight ahead. The murderous intent that had once filled the hall had receded but not vanished; it coiled tightly around her heart like a restrained beast.
She was deep in thought.
