The grand doors of the throne room swung open as the guards pushed them aside. When they entered the room, the guards closed the door and left the three of them inside. Soon after, the heavy silence that followed felt almost alive.
Lory stared at the throne chamber that hadn't changed much from her memory. The ceiling rose high above, vast and commanding, its steel arches glinting faintly under the pale light. From its center hung a long chandelier of crystal, elegant yet severe. Its sharp, gleaming edges caught the light like shards of ice, casting fractured reflections across the room. It didn't look grand so much as imposing, a silent reminder of the power that ruled here.
