Morning sunlight poured through the towering stained-glass arches of the Convergence Hall, illuminating the polished white marble rotunda in radiant shades of amber and gold. The grand council chamber of Alika City was filled with hundreds of senior officers, clan elders, and academy masters from every corner of the continent.
At the center of the circular hall stood a massive round table carved from solid grey granite, surrounded by twelve high-backed wooden seats. Above the council table hung the great bronze chandelier of Tagayia, forged in the shape of a blooming star and decorated with the coats of arms of all five provinces.
Sagiri walked into the hall wearing his formal dark southern tunic with silver-stitched sleeves, the radiant hilt of Nokai resting quietly across his back. Beside him walked Healer Lira in her emerald academy robes and Lady Kiana draped in the elegant silver-and-black silks of the Sekana clan.
