[Zahryssar Empire—Silthara Palace—Council Chamber —The Next Day]
The council chamber of Silthara Palace felt colder than stone.
Outside, the desert burned beneath the morning sun, heat rising from the golden courtyards in trembling waves, yet inside the chamber the air was sharp and heavy, as if the warmth of Zahryssar itself refused to enter while the throne was in judgment.
Tall pillars carved with ancient serpent sigils surrounded the long obsidian table. Blue flames burned in the braziers along the walls, their light steady and unnatural, casting pale shadows across the gathered nobles.
Every great house of Zahryssar stood present.
House Nahrash. House Varoth. House Ashkarin. House Karzath, and at the head of the table sat the Serpent Emperor.
Zeramet Karash, silent and still.
His golden eyes rested on the man seated across from him, and the weight of that gaze alone made the entire chamber feel as if it might crack.
