THE PEOPLE OF THE MIST (CHAPS 29-30)

⭐ Chapter 29 – The Trial of the Gods

Juanna, Otter, Leonard, and Francisco are brought before the People of the Mist for a public judgment. Nam, seeking to save himself and regain power, denounces Juanna and Otter as false gods and produces Soa—who claims they came to steal the tribe's sacred stones. Juanna responds with fierce dignity, warning the people that rejecting them will bring famine, pestilence, and civil war.

The elders deliver their verdict: at dawn, the gods must prove their divinity by causing the sun to shine through the mists. If the sun fails to appear, Juanna and Otter will be hurled from the head of the great statue into the Snake's pit. Leonard and Francisco will be kept alive for later sacrifice.

The group returns to the palace knowing the truth: the mist will not lift, and their execution is set for morning.

⭐ Chapter 30 – Francisco's Expiation

Facing certain death, the group shares a somber meal and discusses their fate. Otter prepares a desperate plan to fight the monstrous Snake if he survives the fall. Francisco withdraws to pray.

Leonard and Juanna, believing they have only hours left, finally confess their long‑hidden love for one another—an emotional, tender moment in the shadow of death.

Otter returns with a brutal homemade weapon to use against the Snake, and Soa suddenly appears with guarded priests. She confirms their fears: the mist will not clear, Juanna and Otter will die at dawn, and Leonard and Francisco will be saved only for later sacrifice. She hints she may offer a sliver of hope—but Leonard rejects her as a traitor.