“Annika’s waiting for you upstairs,” he says before disappearing through the doorway.

I take a few focused breaths to regain my composure, before stepping onto the narrow bridge outside my door and making my way to the meeting room. I’m about to walk through the doorway when I hear Annika’s voice, urgent and firm.

“I am not going to waste the only chance we may ever get to take the Orb.”

“Even if we aren’t sure? The Transfer is just a rumor,” Ahmet counters.

“It’s happening the way Diego said it would, with all the princes together. It can’t be just a rumor,” Shura says, the hope in her voice rising.

“Are we really going to put all our faith in the ramblings of someone who’s spent ten lifetimes in a dungeon after losing the First War?” Ahmet argues. “I’d like to remind everyone this is the same person who spoke of a promised land beyond the courts. A land that turned out to be nothing but a landscape in the Labyrinth and almost cost us the Colony. If we follow every lead from those whose minds have been torn apart in War, we’ll be chasing red herrings for the next thousand lifetimes.”

“Gil was in War,” Shura shoots back. “And we trust him.”

“I’ve never given you a reason not to,” Gil replies coolly.

“Gil also knows the difference between truth and a fractured imagination,” Ahmet replies. “We can’t say the same for everyone in War. Especially not someone who was there as long as Diego.”

Theo speaks next. “This isn’t the first time we’ve heard rumors about the Orb, and we’ve heard it from more than one person. Whether the Transfer is real or not, we have more than good reason to believe the Orb exists. And if it does, this could be the time to get information.”

Murmurs erupt from the room.

“Nami, you can stop eavesdropping and come inside,” Annika calls from behind the walls.

My spine stiffens, and I rely on my Resident face to hide the blush in my cheeks.

“Sorry,” I say sheepishly, stepping into the room. “I didn’t want to interrupt.”

Annika waves her hand forward, ushering me closer to the hologram on the table.

Gil stands beside her, along with Ahmet, Theo, Shura, and two men I’ve seen around the Colony before. They’re engineers, like Ahmet, though I’ve yet to see their work in action.

“Do you remember the Dawn Festival from the Exchange?” Annika asks.

I nod. It’s the festival that marks the start of the Procession of Crowns—the first of five.