Roselys continued narrating while still working. "The Banshee showed him a mirror. He saw his kingdom, peaceful only because its people were dead inside. They breathed, but they were bound to his will. The harmony he made was a cage."
Her voice dropped. "The Banshee laughed and left him with a curse: Those who dream for others shall never wake alone. When Iseren woke, his whole kingdom slept. Every heart beat with his. He couldn't tell where his thoughts ended and theirs began. They say the ruins of Calithar still hum on windless nights."
Silence followed.
Then she asked, "What do you think the moral is?"
Her tone wasn't casual. She watched him closely, searching for his framework.
Vencian wiped dust from his hands. "The problem isn't the decision. It's that he got caught.
Her brows lifted.
