C12 The boy with two birthdays

The mechanical voice faded into the heavy stone walls of the council chamber, leaving Vespera alone in Seat XIII.

The dark oak armrests felt cold beneath her palms, and the faint scent of ozone lingered in the air.

The Missing Heir has Returned to the Council.

The words had not sounded like an ordinary mechanical recording. They carried the distinct cadence of a living voice