The absolute darkness of Elarwyn's Western bough was suddenly shattered by a violent, jagged flare of Mana. Dozens of Verdia Paladins materialized from behind the weeping shadows of the Kenanga leaves, their flint-tipped spears erupting with a crystalline light that converged on a single, solitary figure standing in the center of the irrigation path.
Mileon, the esteemed member of the Council of Root Guardians, the man once hailed as a pillar of Elven wisdom, stood frozen. In his hand, he still clutched the small, ornate injector filled with the viscous black venom—the physical evidence of his treason.
Governor Caelmir stepped forward from the line of Paladins, his stoic face a mask of profound disappointment and simmering rage. In his trembling hand, he held Dayat's Rugged Monitoring Tablet. On the screen, the loop of the last few seconds played continuously—a high-definition record of Mileon's betrayal captured in infrared clarity.
