The Council Hall had been built to intimidate.
That was its original purpose, etched into the bones of the mountain long before Aria was born. Pillars carved from black stone rose like frozen sentinels, their surfaces inscribed with the names of Alphas long dead. The ceiling arched so high it dissolved into shadow, and the air itself carried the cold gravity of judgment.
Aria felt none of it press her spine.
She walked beside Damien through the central doors as if entering a room she already owned.
Conversation died on impact.
Council members turned in their tiered seats, robes whispering, eyes narrowing. Some stared openly. Others avoided her gaze entirely. A few studied her with the kind of interest reserved for storms seen on the horizon.
At the far end of the hall, the High Arbiter rose slowly.
Eldric Vane was ancient by were standards, his power no longer sharp but vast, like a deep lake that hid its currents. His gaze fixed on Aria with unsettling intensity.
