The Assembly hall was unlike anything Aria had ever seen. A massive circular structure, built specifically for these gatherings, with tiered seating rising in concentric rings around a central presentation space. Skylights provided natural illumination, casting beams of morning light across the polished stone floor. The walls were carved with symbols representing healing traditions from across the continent, each one telling a story of knowledge passed down through generations.
It was already filling when Aria arrived, an hour before the opening ceremonies. Hundreds of healers in robes marking their territories, their specialties, their ranks. The fabric colors ranged from deep forest green to bright azure, from earth brown to healing silver. The quiet hum of conversation created a sound like distant wind, punctuated by occasional laughter or the rustle of parchment.
"Breathe," Liora said quietly beside her. "Just breathe."
