Chapter 15
Elara’s POV
The palace had begun to reveal itself in ways I hadn’t expected. At first, its marble halls and glittering chandeliers had felt suffocating—ornaments of a gilded cage meant to remind me that I did not belong. Every corridor whispered of nobility, of secrets tucked away behind polished smiles and curtseys. And yet, I found myself drawn deeper into its maze, as though the stones themselves beckoned me forward.
It began with curiosity. A flickering lantern that should have been snuffed, left burning in an empty hall. A draft of cold air when all windows were shut tight. The faint sound of something hollow, like a whisper beneath the floorboards.
That evening, I followed it.
The guard assigned to me—Rhea, the female soldier who had been training me—had dismissed me
