Chapter 34

• I walked into my office, shutting the door behind me with a heavy sigh. The air felt stifling, every corner of the room reminding me of the work I’d poured my heart into. The weight of the elders’ words pressed on my chest, threatening to choke me.
• I dropped into my chair, leaning back and closing my eyes, wishing for just a moment of reprieve. But the sound of a knock pulled me out of my spiraling thoughts.
• “Come in,” I called, my voice weary.