The hall was eerily silent except for the sound of Aria’s breathing — ragged, shallow, shaking. The betrayer knelt in front of her, blood staining their mouth, their hands raised in surrender that felt more mocking than remorseful.
“You…” Aria’s voice cracked like a whip, sharp with disbelief and grief. Her claws still dripped with blood from the fight. Her chest ached so hard she thought her ribs might shatter. “After everything… after everything we survived together…”
The betrayer coughed, spitting a thin line of crimson on the broken marble floor. Their lips curled into a bitter smile. “You think I wanted this?”
“You chose this!” Aria snarled, stepping closer until her boots crunched over broken glass and rubble. “You chose to stab me in the back. You chose to side with them. Was I j
