"So," she said.
That single word cut through the room, clean and sharp, slicing away the lingering shock in the air.
"The work I assigned before I was taken."
A pause.
Her gaze lifted, slow and steady, resting on each of them one by one—not asking, not questioning… simply expecting.
"Is it done?"
The room, which had already been silent, seemed to grow heavier.
Demorti straightened instinctively. The others followed, exchanging quick glances—not out of confusion, but habit. A silent check. A shared understanding.
Then they nodded.
"It is completed, Your Highness," Demorti said, stepping forward and placing a stack of documents on the table. "All reports, financial records, and intelligence summaries have been organized as instructed."
The papers made a soft sound as they settled.
Elara didn't touch them.
Not immediately.
Her eyes rested on the stack for a brief moment… as if weighing not the contents, but the effort behind them.
Then—
She exhaled.
