ONE WEEK LATER - KASSANDRA'S OFFICE
"It's bad."
Kassandra slid a thick folder across her desk. Her face was grim. EXHAUSTED.
I'd never seen her look exhausted before.
"How bad?" I asked, not touching the folder yet.
"Bad enough that you'll want to burn everything down and START OVER bad." She poured two glasses of whiskey. Slid one to me. "Drink first. Read after."
I drank. The whiskey burned.
Then I opened the folder.
**TRANSPARENCY AUDIT - FINAL RESULTS**
*Council Members Implicated: 8 of 30*
*Representatives Implicated: 47 of 200*
*Total Bribery Cases: 89*
*Vote Manipulation Incidents: 34*
*Undisclosed Conflicts of Interest: 156*
*Embezzlement: 12 cases*
*Total Funds Misappropriated: 340,000 gold*
I couldn't breathe.
"Eight council members," I whispered. "A QUARTER of our leadership."
"Gets worse. Keep reading."
I flipped pages. Names. EVIDENCE. Documentation.
Then I saw it.
**TEMPLE REFORMATION FUND - FINANCIAL IRREGULARITIES**
*Administrator: Saintess Lily*
