Binding Val

Val nodded to Mom, stepping into the glowing silver circle with a steady, quiet posture. I walked over, taking my place inside the opposing circle. The ambient mana in the room immediately began to hum, responding to the spatial array beneath our feet.

Mom looked at me, her tone turning informative. "Which card from your executive deck are you assigning to Valerie, Seth? The choice of card sets the conceptual framework for her shared authority."

I reached into my pocket, pulling out the sleek, obsidian and gold card deck I had received in Uruk. Focusing my intent, I drew a single card from the array and held it up.

It was the Queen of Spades.

The card gleamed under the room's lights, its dark, elegant runic border pulsing with a sharp, lethal aura that matched Val's Soulshade nature perfectly.