The silence after Damien's threat stretched like a drawn bowstring, it felt like violence waiting to happen.
Then Elara stepped forward, moving beside Damien rather than behind him, and her voice rang out with a clarity that commanded attention.
"Stop."
The single word carried weight – not from volume, instead authority. The authority of someone who'd spent twenty years being the kingdom's spiritual symbol and was finally claiming that power for herself.
"You speak of corruption, High Priest." Elara's voice was steady despite her exhaustion. "And declare me tainted. Damien a monster. But I have questions before you condemn us."
Aldous's expression was cold. "There are no questions. The evidence is clear – "
"What is corruption?" Elara interrupted, and the audacity of cutting off the High Priest made several people gasp. "Define it for me. Specifically."
"Corruption is the perversion of holy purpose by darkness – "
