Chapter 28 - The Reckoning at Arelate

Constantine dismissed the last of his officers and stood alone in the vast, cold hall of the Arelate praetorium. The torchlight flickered along marble columns, drawing restless, claw-like shadows across the polished floor. He listened as the last echoes of armor and sandaled feet faded into silence. The hush felt heavy and alert, as if the stone itself understood that judgment was close. The room held the scent of history-lamp oil, sweat, and the unspoken cost of power.