Chapter 85: Abyss

The room tilted.

The world held its breath.

One noble staggered back slightly, gripping the edge of a bench for support.

Another crossed himself, whispering a prayer against cursed names.

A third—Duke Elbern—laughed once, sharp and mocking. "And i will ask once more....what proof have you brought, then? A whisper in the wind? The screams of a battlefield hallucination?" He blurted now, his tone sharp as they come.

"Watch your tone," Lara said, steel edging her syllables.

But Claire held up a hand.

"No need," she said. "They'll see the truth soon enough."

She turned slowly.

"Our armies dwindle. Our coffers bleed. The Empire's soldiers never sleep. You feel it, don't you?"

A shift.

A silence.

Even the nobles couldn't lie about that.