The ring wasn’t about faith.
It was about power.
Jurors wore it like a badge of protection.
A signal to everyone around them that the hierarchy stood behind them.
Most people saw the ring and looked away.
Not Atriya.
He saw every childhood threat.
Every smug grin.
Every reminder that the system protected some people more than others.
When Benson offered the ring for him to kiss, Atriya didn’t hesitate.
“No.”
Some men pray to authority.
Others break it.
The Judge may command reverence. Atriya doesn’t.
Continue Atriya’s Story
Atriya’s journey through war, hierarchy, and the hidden forces shaping his path begins in the Echo Saga.
New readers can enter the story here:
or start the full book:
Curious about the rest of Kent Wayne’s worlds?
Kent Wayne 
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