Aurora's POV
The great hall breathed like a living thing.
That was the first thought that struck me as I stepped inside - not the crowd, not the tension, not even the weight of the moment. The mountain itself seemed aware, stone walls humming faintly beneath my feet as if Deephowl was holding its breath alongside its people.
The hall was packed far beyond capacity.
Wolves stood shoulder to shoulder, some shifted, some human, their eyes reflecting torchlight like shards of glass. The air was thick with heat, sweat, fear, and anticipation. Every whisper bounced off stone and died quickly, swallowed by the sheer number of bodies pressing together.
They had come because they were afraid.
They had come because someone had made them believe this moment would decide whether they lived or died.
