Valen’s POV
Blood.
It was everywhere. It pooled in the grooves of the stone floor, dark and thick. My claws were stained a deep, messy crimson. Why was there so much? The screams... they were so loud, then suddenly, they just stopped. The silence was worse. The smell of copper and salt filled my nose until I couldn't breathe.
I blinked, and the floor of the courtyard came back into focus.
My head throbbed. These days, my thoughts felt like a cracked mirror. I could feel my humanity slipping through my fingers like sand. Most days, I didn't even know who "Valen" was anymore. There was only the rage, the darkness, and the constant, crushing weight of the Northern throne.
People think I’m the crazy King. They aren't wrong. Even the Alphas who report to me, the ones who are supposed to be
