Shadows of the Past

The council meeting had stretched on for hours, the plans and strategies detailed on the maps laid across the table. But as the day wore on, a restless tension clung to the air. Everyone in the room knew the stakes were higher than ever, yet there was an unspoken awareness that the true battle lay not just in the war ahead, but in the secrets that were starting to surface.

Xypheron sat in his chair, his hands steepled in front of him, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the intricate lines of the map. The weight of command hung heavy on him, but it wasn't just the future of the kingdom that weighed on his mind. There was something else—a shadow from his past that had begun to creep into the present. He hadn't fully acknowledged it yet, but it was there, threatening to unravel everything.

Vexaria, seated beside him, could sense the shift in his demeanor. She had known him long enough to recognize when something troubled him. Her hand brushed against his subtly, a silent gesture of support. But she could also see that he was holding something back, something important that he wasn't ready to share.

"Xypheron," she said softly, her voice cutting through the murmur of the room. "What's on your mind? You've been distant for hours."

He glanced at her, his gaze lingering for a moment before he looked back at