The air in the royal chamber was thick with unspoken words. Sienna stood in front of the ornate mirror, adjusting the delicate golden crown on her head. It felt heavy, its weight symbolizing not just the kingdom she had inherited, but the burdens and mysteries that came with it. Her reflection stared back at her, but it wasn’t her own face she saw. It was Ryder’s. The shadows of his past, his pain, and the darkness that clung to him all whispered in the back of her mind. How could she possibly save him when she barely understood the curse he bore?
There was a knock at the door, breaking her reverie. She turned swiftly, her pulse quickening. Her mind was too clouded to think clearly, but there was no time for doubt. Whoever was on the other side of that door had come to deliver something,
