'The hall still looks the same' was Athena's first thought as she stepped into the elders' council hall, holding her children's hands tightly.
The familiar scent of old wood and polished stone enveloped her, a bittersweet reminder of the countless decisions made in this very space. The only different thing was the projector that Aiden had mounted yesterday with their permission regarding today's case, a stark, modern addition against the timeless backdrop of the hall.
Athena felt a strange sense of dislocation seeing the sameness after all these years, for it felt like a telltale sign that these elders were still the same—stoic as ever, and frustratingly shallow to believe in outdated and faulty proofs. But today, resolute and ready, she would claw her way through their ignorance to present such compelling evidence that there would be no room for foolish judgments.
