Soon, footsteps echoed through the long stone corridor.
Grandpa Persius's voice, trembling with awe, broke the silence.
"The Justice Hall," he whispered.
"I never thought I would live to walk these halls. Once, these very walls witnessed the reign of Northem's greatest kings and generals... and later, the monarchs of Azuverda."
He fell silent, his gaze lingering upon the ancient stone as though he could see ghosts where others saw only empty walls.
Lara barely heard him.
The hallway before her dissolved into another time.
She remembered the first day she had stood here, with Alaric beside her.
The memory drifted over her like morning mist.
She remembered the scent of drying oil paint mingled with polished cedar, the quiet reverence that filled the chamber, and the golden afternoon light spilling through the tall windows.
