The council chamber had never felt so heavy. The grand room that had once been used to celebrate victories and welcome allies had become a prison of silence. Maps lay scattered across the long oak table, marked with hastily drawn routes leading beyond Mooncrest's borders. Red stones marked every place the scouts had searched through the night. None of them had found Audra. The first rays of dawn filtered through the tall windows, casting long shadows across the stone floor. Outside, the green banners of Mooncrest fluttered weakly in the morning breeze, reminders of the Luna Ceremony that had turned into a nightmare. Every leader in the room wore the same expression. Defeat. Aria stood near the window, her back to the others. Between her fingers rested the tiny silver bracelet that had belonged to Audra. She ran her thumb over the delicate engraving, remembering how her daughter had laughed when she fastened it around her tiny wrist before the ceremony. It still carried faint sc
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