It took longer than expected, but Joseph was finally released into the lobby.
The space sprawled before him, an organized chaos contained within the outer walls. Imperial banners of the island of the Emperor hung from stone columns, their insignia a golden head resembling a lion roaring, the background a blue pattern with winding yellow lines.
Steam hissed from overhead pipes, people crowded every available space: refugees clutching paperwork, merchants filing complaints at processing desks, guards stationed at intervals like human pillars.
The noise somehow created its own kind of silence—a droning hum that swallowed individual voices whole.
Joseph waited on a bench, seemingly alone, but it was clear that guards always had their eyes on him.
He waited.
Minutes stretched like pulled taffy.
