The hall had returned to silence after Marcus Hale’s judgment, yet it was not empty. The echoes of his cries lingered in the stone pillars, seeping into the air like smoke. Lyra’s hands still trembled slightly, and she could feel her chest tighten with the weight of what she had witnessed. Kaelen remained on his throne, his face a mask of calm, yet even she could sense the careful tension in his shoulders. Every judgment mattered. Every soul was a story, a life, and even a fleeting moment of weakness could shift the balance.The shelves of bottles behind Kaelen pulsed faintly. Each one contained a life judged, a verdict delivered, a soul either saved or lost. Lyra had counted them before. Hundreds, thousands, perhaps more. She did not know how many, for time in this place did not follow mortal rules. Some souls seemed older than centuries, some young, bright, and trembling. She wondered if each one had felt the same fear Marcus had. She wondered if Kaelen ever truly felt it.Aurelius’

The hall waited, silent and eternal. The echoes of Marcus Hale, Seraphine Valen, and Elias Crow lingered faintly, fading but never entirely gone. The polished floors reflected the dim lanterns, their light trembling like hesitant stars in the void. The shelves behind Kaelen pulsed softly, each bottle containing a life already judged, a soul measured, a story sealed.Lyra pressed her hands lightly to the counter. She could feel the weight of the hall pressing on her chest, invisible but unmistakable. Every judgment left residue, and every residue shaped her own soul in ways she did not yet understand. She wondered if she would ever become numb to the cries and pleas of those who entered the hall, or if the echoes would follow her until the end of her own existence.Kaelen remained on his throne, his eyes fixed on the shelves. Even though Lyra had seen him render countless judgments, she never saw him falter. His posture was perfect, his face carved into calm, yet there was an intensity

The hall was quiet but alive. Every pillar seemed to hum faintly with the weight of past judgments, and the shelves of glowing bottles pulsed like the heartbeat of eternity. Lyra pressed her hands lightly against the counter, feeling the energy of the hall settle around her. The echoes of Marcus Hale, Seraphine Valen, Elias Crow, Damien Corwin, and Jonas Laird still lingered in the air. Their cries, laughter, and moments of hope were now invisible threads weaving through the space, part of the fabric of the hall itself.Kaelen remained on his throne, motionless, his gaze sweeping over the shelves behind him. He had judged countless souls in his lifetime, yet each new arrival brought a tension that no experience could dull. Even in his stillness, Lyra could feel the precision and vigilance radiating from him. Aurelius’s presence pressed subtly on the air, reminding both Kaelen and Lyra that the work of judgment never stopped.The far door shimmered again. This one opened differently fr

The hall was alive in a way that could not be described by ordinary senses. Lanterns cast a soft, golden glow across the polished floors. Shadows twisted along the pillars as though stretching to whisper secrets of the lives that had already passed through the hall. The shelves, lined with countless bottles containing souls whose stories had been weighed, pulsed faintly. Each glow reflected not only the essence of the soul but also the weight of decisions made, mistakes committed, and moments of courage that had shaped each life.Lyra stood at the counter, her hands lightly gripping the edge as her eyes scanned the room. The echoes of past judgments seemed to linger in the air, faint murmurs and fleeting glimpses that brushed against her consciousness. Marcus Hale, Seraphine Valen, Elias Crow, Damien Corwin, Jonas Laird, and Selene Marlowe had all left their presence behind. She could feel the residue of their stories pressing against her chest, subtle and unrelenting. It was a weight

The hall was quieter than usual, yet the silence carried weight. Lanterns glowed softly, their light casting long shadows that stretched across polished floors. Lyra leaned against the counter, her fingers brushing the smooth surface, feeling a pulse that seemed to flow beneath the hall itself. Each soul left traces, faint echoes of laughter, grief, and whispered regrets. Selene Marlowe's story lingered in her mind, a reminder of the cost of choices, sacrifice, and love.Kaelen remained on his throne, upright, composed, his eyes scanning the rows of glowing bottles. Each pulse reflected a life weighed, a balance preserved. Lyra had begun to notice the rhythm of the hall, the almost imperceptible sway that suggested the presence of something greater. Aurelius was unseen, yet his influence pressed through the shadows, guiding the hall's energy without revealing himself.The far door shimmered, bending the void until it solidified. Lyra's chest tightened. Every soul brought a new story,