My thoughts were spiraling again, swimming in a sea of pain and betrayal. Every ache in my body reminded me of what had been done. The blood on the floor was partly dry now, but the iron scent still clung to my skin. My clothes stuck to me, stiff with blood and sweat. I leaned my head against the cold wall, letting my mind wander back to the night before.
That was when the door creaked open. A slow, firm sound. My heart jerked at the sudden interruption, yanking me back to the present.
Voices followed. Heavy boots echoed into the chamber, thudding against the stone floor.
Guards.
But then… I sensed it. That weight in the air. The way the guards didn’t walk ahead, but behind. The one who entered first carried power with him, as though the very room bowed to his presence. I lifted my hea
