Chapter 30 - The Serpent Uncoiled

Constantine dismissed the last of his officers and waited alone in the echoing hall of Arelate's praetorium. Torchlight flared against marble columns, throwing restless shadows that reached like claws across the floor. The hush that settled after the clang of armor and sandaled feet faded was thick, almost expectant—as though the very stones knew an old reckoning had finally come due. When the heavy doors groaned open, the young Augustus did not rise. He merely inclined his head a fraction, the scar across his brow pulled taut, his single eye gleaming like obsidian.