What the Light Protects

Corin’s faith was tested first through people rather than doctrine. He treated victims of the Eclipse Court’s lightless burns, questioned whether ancient testimony should be mistaken for certainty, and learned at Lake Auriel that memory could become currency.

During the coup he kept Captain Voss alive, and during the siege he organized sanctuary before returning the wounded commander to duty. The chapter closed with Corin convinced that survival must be measured in lives preserved rather than relics recovered or institutions saved.