"You stand before the Holy Council, humbled and truthful. You stand accused of—"
The aged voice was abruptly cut off.
"Wait, I'll stop you there. I did not come here humbled."
The younger voice was calm, confident, and arrogant enough that even speaking so casually upon sacred ground felt like a deliberate insult.
"Maybe you've noticed, but I'm wearing changer fabric. This outfit costs more than some noble houses make in a year. You see these gems on my brooch? Rare exotic mana crystals with extreme purity."
A vein twitched somewhere in the chamber.
"You are as impetuous as I remember," another voice spoke calmly.
"But you did remember me."
A smirk stretched across the young man's face.
"I'm glad to know I left an impression."
The man standing before them was extraordinary.
His aura was deep, difficult to perceive properly, as though it constantly shifted between concealment and revelation. Long dark hair fell behind his shoulders and despite not being royalty…
