The smoke did not clear all at once. It lingered in thick, uneven waves that clung to the broken air like a second ceiling. The courtroom, which only moments earlier had held the weight of judgment, now looked like the aftermath of something far more violent than justice. Shattered glass covered the floor in glittering fragments, wooden panels had split apart under pressure, and the smell of burnt wiring hung faintly beneath the chaos.
For a long moment, no one spoke. Even breathing felt like an intrusion.
Then reality returned in pieces.
"He's gone!"
The voice cut through the stunned silence like a blade.
Vivian's head snapped toward the center of the courtroom. The restraints that had held Dorian were still fixed in place, but the seat was empty. The guards closest to him were either down or disoriented, struggling to regain their footing as if they had been hit by something they could not anticipate.
The realization landed fully, sharp and immediate.
