Ezra immediately caught the whispers rising from the Sunward Sentinels around him.
"We already have to work with those jerks… now we have to actually work with them?"
"What is he thinking? Is this really the right way?"
"Did the princes approve this?"
"Is this some kind of punishment?"
The murmurs were low, but there were many of them. Too many.
From the corner of his eye, Ezra saw similar reactions from the other two orders.
Goldflame knights exchanged tight looks.
Dawnward Bloom members frowned openly, lines forming between their brows.
The air shifted.
It wasn't a rebellion.
But it was close to resistance.
Ezra glanced at Helios.
To his surprise, Helios did not look startled. Not confused. Not irritated.
He looked… prepared.
In contrast, Kaelis's jaw was tight, his expression visibly displeased. Aurien, too, seemed caught off guard, though far more composed.
'I see,' Ezra thought quietly. 'That's why Helios left early.'
