Auren fell silent. So did everyone else—an awkward, heavy quiet settling over them.
Asenya studied them all, her expression a mix of amusement and something stranger, something unreadable.
Then, a second later, she yawned—loud, exaggerated, like a cat stretching in the sun.
"Oh my! Gods! I'm getting so sleepy. Did someone poison the air with sedatives? Honestly, the stench of boredom is enough to knock a person out."
Auren shot her a sidelong glance and sighed before turning to his other two companions.
"We haven't found the relic that brought down Dawn. But I have another way to end the war."
Meredith lingered, her eyes fixed on the ground as she sat cross-legged.
"But how can we be sure the Trial will end without restoring Dawn?"
Auren exhaled sharply.
"There's no rule saying Dawn has to be restored. Everything we've been taught about the Trial says our actions dictate its end. And you said it yourself—the first Trial is about confrontation."
