The doors of the Sovereign's private chambers clicked shut, sealing out the grand corridors and plunging them into an immediate, suffocating silence. The room was cast in deep, heavy shadows, illuminated only by the faint, pulsing violet glow of the raw mana crystals embedded in the ceiling.
Hannah stepped into the dark expanse. Seeking to break the oppressive gloom, she moved toward the towering, arched windows and reached out to raise the thick, velvet curtains to let in what little light remained of the fading afternoon.
"Leave them," Hebner's voice cut through the darkness like a shattering pane of ice.
Hannah froze, her hand hovering just inches from the heavy fabric.
"The light disturbs me," he commanded, his posture rigid as he stood near the center of the dark room, his robes blending into the shadows. "Leave the room exactly as it is."
Hannah quietly dropped her hand, nodding in obedience. "Yes, My Lord."
