[Temple—Ceremonial Hall—Lavinia's POV]
The applause rolled through the hall, thunderous yet strangely distant, like echoes from another world. My chest still throbbed from the unseen threads of energy that had wrapped around me during the Benediction.
They hadn't fully released me, and every breath felt heavier, weighted with a tension I couldn't shake. My hands trembled slightly, rising unconsciously as if expecting that invisible pressure to coil around me once more.
Papa's eyes were fixed on me, sharp, calculating, and unreadable. A tiny twitch at the edge of his jaw betrayed some thought he wasn't voicing.
"You held yourself well," he said, voice low but resonant, carrying a weight that made even the claps around us feel muted. "Stronger than I expected."
