The air inside the room seemed to grow thinner, as though something unseen had drawn it all away. An oppressive silence fell, heavy and suffocating, forcing everyone to subconsciously hold their breath. Lydia's face drained of color, her lips parted in a trembling line, and her eyes widened in sheer horror, as if the memories Maddeline summoned were unfolding right before her.
Meanwhile, Maddeline's voice continued, low and burdened with the weight of the past. "I remember my sister held my hand so tightly as they herded us toward Mount Fehrer.
Some of the recruits tried to ask where we were being taken, but before they could finish, one of the paladins snapped at her, telling her to keep her mouth shut, or else. We were shocked. None of us had ever been shouted at like that by a paladin or anyone working for the organization. It was the first time... as if they had finally removed their kind and benevolent masks."
