“Put it on record.”Iris’s voice is steady, but it carries through the chamber without strain. The Council hall is full. Not crowded, not loud, but full in a way that feels heavy. Every seat taken. Every Elder present. Observers lined along the walls, quiet, watchful.The air smells faintly of ink and old wood. Fresh documents sit stacked in front of the scribes, ready to be marked, sealed, and stored. Nothing about this is casual.This is permanent.Iris stands at the center, where judgment is usually given. Today, she is not being judged. She is the one speaking.Donovan stands a step behind her, not interrupting, not shielding. Just there. Close enough that she can feel him if she reaches back.She does not reach.Not yet.In her hands is a single file. Thin. Too thin for what it holds.Twenty three names.She opens it.“Full account,” she says. “No redac
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