The weight of the council's decision still clung to the air, thick and unshakable. Hull had chosen its side, but the war was no longer a distant shadow. It was coming, whether we were ready or not.
The morning after the vote, I stood in the war room, staring at the map spread before me. My fingers traced the borders of Hull, then Praylor, then Ashary. The pieces were all there, shifting and moving, but the game was only beginning.
Lucian entered without a word, his presence commanding yet unintrusive. He stepped beside me, his gaze also fixed on the map.
"Do you regret it?" he finally asked.
I glanced at him. "Regret what?"
"Choosing Praylor."
I let out a slow breath. "I regret that there was never a better choice to make."
