Alison's POV
The heavy silence in the air felt like a harbinger of chaos as I paced the length of my room, my mind spiraling through the tangled mess of alliances, betrayals, and mounting tensions. The weight of it all was unbearable. Every decision I made seemed to tighten the noose around my throat, and now, more than ever, I felt like I was running out of time.
A sharp knock on my door startled me out of my thoughts. “Come in,” I called, my voice steadier than I felt.
Simone stepped inside, her cane tapping lightly against the stone floor, followed by two of my guards. Her expression, serene yet commanding, belied the storm brewing in her mind. “The guards will assist me on my task,” she said simply, her blind gaze fixed somewhere near my shoulder.
“Thank you for agreeing to this,”
