Author’s POV The three Elders gathered in the small room at the far end of the building long after everyone else had gone quiet for the night. The eldest among them, Elder Voss, stood near the window with his arms folded, his eyes fixed on the dark stretch of trees outside. He had not sat down since they entered, and the other two knew better than to rush him when he was thinking. Elder Camara sat at the table, her hands folded tightly in her lap. She had been the one speaking to Mira throughout the process, and out of the three, she had seen most closely what the bond was doing to the girl. The third, Elder Rhen, stood near the door in silence. He rarely spoke first, but when he did, it mattered. It was Camara who finally broke the quiet. “She said one more day. She said she would make a choice.” “I heard her,” Voss replied, without turning. “The bond cannot sustain another night like the last one. We all know that. One more day may already be too long.” Voss was quiet for a
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