Liora had always known how to carry weight.
Responsibility. Expectation. Even grief—she held it like air, like water. Let it settle without making ripples.
But she wasn't used to being questioned… gently.
It happened two days after the trial.
Driftside's outer circle requested a "quiet reflection"—a tradition meant to welcome, not confront. But when Liora arrived with Kaelen beside her, she could feel it.
This wasn't welcome.
This was assessment.
They sat in a half-ring under twilight, candles burning low, and one by one, the elders asked simple things.
Where had she trained?
What did she believe leadership should look like?
What had she lost in the rising of the flame?
She answered honestly. Softly.
But then came the last question.
It came from the youngest elder, a wolf named Elrin. His eyes were sharp but not cruel. His voice was low and level.
"Who are you without it?"
Liora blinked. "Without what?"
