As Dorian stood there, staring at his reflection in the mirror, a knock sounded on the door of his chambers. He didn’t move right away, instead letting the sound hang in the air like a bell tolling for something lost. Finally, he pulled himself away from the mirror and opened the door.
It was Deputy Chief Randolph, grinning broadly. "Congratulations, Your Honor," Randolph said, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation. He looked around the chambers with approval. "You’ve come a long way, Dorian. Well deserved."
Dorian forced a smile. “Thanks. It’s been a long road.”
Randolph glanced at the black robe draped across Dorian’s shoulders. “And worth every step, I’d say. You played that trial perfectly. Moreno never saw it coming.”
The mention of Moreno made Dorian’s chest tighten, but he kept his face neutral. “He knew by the end,” Dorian said quietly, turning to face Randolph. “He knew I betrayed him.”
Randolph gave a dismissive wave. “He’s a criminal, Dorian. A murderer. The world’s better off with him locked away. Besides, you didn’t just do it for yourself. You did it for the system, for justice.”
But Dorian wasn’t so sure. He had spent years bending the system to his will, defending men like Moreno who thrived on the chaos of a broken world. And now, standing on the other side of the law, the line between right and wrong blurred in ways that made him uneasy.
Randolph leaned in, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “You’re one of us now. The people who really run things.
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