Chapter 148: Local Support

The streets of Jinstain bustled with life as news crews wove through the crowds, cameras and microphones poised to catch the next big story.

The trial of Kelan Benedict was a firestorm of gossip, but for those looking to dig deeper, Conor Brantley was quickly becoming an equally hot topic.

He had risen from obscurity to a central figure in the battle for justice alongside Kerrigan Lokir, and with that rise came scrutiny—some of it malicious.

But in Jinstain, the reporters seeking dirt found something quite different.

The first crew stopped outside the Jinstain Community Center, where a few children played in the courtyard, laughter echoing through the bright, chilly afternoon. The center’s director, Jonathan, stood by the front door, watching the reporters with a mix of curiosity and wariness.

He had worked under Priestess Rainna for years and had known Conor since he was a boy. The sight of the cameras immediately set him on edge, but he wasn’t about to let anyone tarnish Conor’s name