The room felt smaller than it actually was. It was a spacious study, designed to exude wealth and stability, featuring polished wooden floors, tall windows draped with heavy curtains, and shelves lined with ledgers and trade documents that chronicled decades of success.
Yet at that moment, none of that mattered. The air was thick, heavy with unspoken tension. No one moved; no one dared to shift too loudly in their seats. The ticking of a clock somewhere in the hall outside sounded unnaturally clear.
Boren sat comfortably on the expensive sofa, his round body relaxed as if he were merely a guest enjoying afternoon tea. Valeria sat upright beside him, composed and quiet, her presence steady like a blade resting in its sheath.
Across from them, Aldric sat stiffly in his chair, hands resting on his knees, while Orak lingered slightly to the side, struggling to comprehend how things had escalated to this point.
