Ovelia's POV
Every villager stood motionless, their faces illuminated by flickering torchlight as they stared at Khaleed. The grilled corn vendor I recognized from earlier - the one with the kind eyes who'd given me extra pan de coco - kept wiping his hands on his apron, his fingers trembling. His lips moved silently as if praying.
Khaleed knelt in the dirt, his shoulders hunched forward like a man awaiting execution. The magic chains around his wrists clinked softly as his fingers dug into his thighs. Moonlight caught the damp tracks running down his cheeks.
I stepped forward, my boots crunching on gravel. "Pan de coco is one of your village's delicacies," I said, keeping my voice warm but firm. "The first time I tasted it, I thought - this is something special. If travelers knew about this..." I gestured to the quiet stalls lining the square. "They'd come from leagues away."
