Think about it: The fortress had never felt this cramped.
Every hallway felt like it was watching me.
Every guard looked suspicious.
Every locked door made me want to know what was happening inside.
After that message showed up, Kael locked the whole place down—again.
Nobody got in. Nobody got out.
Guards stood watch at every gate.
Kael called in the royal council.
And guess what? I got told to stay in my room. Again.
I lasted maybe five minutes.
I found Kael in the war chamber, standing over a table crowded with maps. Three commanders stood with him, faces tense.
He didn’t even look up. “Where are you going?”
I shrugged. “Here.”
He looked at me. “I told you to stay in your room.”
“I heard you.”
“And?”
“And I ignored you.”
One commander glanced away, probably hiding a grin
