The weight of the fortress walls felt suffocating as Caroline stepped into the corridor.
She had walked away from Ezra.
Had finally broken free from the version of herself he had shaped.
But the war that had always been waiting for her was no longer something distant, something she could pretend wasn’t inevitable.
It was here.
And she had just chosen her side.
Her heart pounded as she moved through the halls, ignoring the stares, the whispers.
The entire palace knew something had shifted.
And they were waiting to see how the king would react.
Caroline didn’t have time to care.
She needed to leave.
To return to Caelan.
To decide what the hell came next.
But just as she reached the entrance—
A voice stopped her.
"You think he’s just going to let you walk away?"
Caroline froze
