"... He is coming straight here."

Druke turned to the gathered citizens, raising his voice for them to hear. "How much longer will we endure this? How much more blood must be spilled before we realize the truth?"

A murmur rippled through the crowd.

I stepped forward. "And what truth would that be, Druke?"

His smirk widened. "That you are the problem."

The words struck like a blade, loud enough for everyone to hear.

And just like that, the crowd shifted. Suspicion and anger turned toward me.

I exhaled slowly. "This is exactly what you wanted, isn't it?" I murmured under my breath.

Druke merely smiled. "I don't have to want it, Your Grace. It's simply the reality of things."

Anger flared in my chest. "We are not turning away people in need."

Druke smirked. "And yet, the people of Avador are suffering because of it."

A murmur spread through the gathered crowd. Doubt. Resentment. It slithered through them like a living thing.