The final trial

(Lina)

I sat in my room, the quietness getting to me. I was still thinking about everything that had happened, the trial, Elara's fall, and the conversation with the system. 

There was a strange mixture of relief and tension within me. Relief because Elara was gone and the people who had conspired against me had been brought to justice. But that wasn't the end. It never was. There was still so much ahead.

I'd barely finished my conversation with the system when I knew what I had to do next. My security needed to be tighter. Even though Elara was gone, I still wasn't safe.

And Nicholas... Nicholas was still out there, still a threat, still someone I had to watch closely. It was time to prepare for what was coming, even if I wasn't entirely sure what that was yet.