The morning council session began like any other, but the air felt brittle. Winter had arrived.
Elias stood in his usual place behind Cassian. He breathed so shallowly that his chest barely moved. He kept his mind flat, a smooth surface of glass that reflected nothing but the task at hand.
Stella sat to the Prince's right. She waited for the conversation about the spring harvest to be resolved before she requested the floor. She didn't stand; she simply leaned forward, her light blue-braided hair catching the light.
"My lords," Stella began, her voice calm. "The North has spent centuries living in the shadow of the Great Frost that suddenly happened years ago. Because of that, we have had to advance our research into Resonance stabilization. Our healers have developed techniques that the South has not yet seen—methods to strengthen the magic from within, rather than just dampening it from without."
She paused, letting the room absorb the weight of her words.
