Dred's face remained impassive as he nodded slowly, the weight of unspoken understanding settling between them like morning frost.
He too had seen the damning article splashed across every news outlet—Vesper's name blazoned in headlines.
The silence stretched before he finally cleared his throat, his voice cutting through the tension.
"Everyone can resume their running," he announced, his tone carefully neutral despite the storm brewing beneath the surface.
Kaelric's expression darkened instantly. He halted mid-stride, his boots scraping against the track as he veered toward the bleachers.
Dred opened his mouth—then snapped it shut at the glacial fury in Kaelric's eyes. Gods above. How am I supposed to command kings?
He turned away, already drafting his resignation to the Emperor in his head.
Meanwhile, Blazar's face contorted into a fearsome scowl that could have curdled milk as her gaze locked onto Vesper.
