Leah’s feet carried her swiftly through the palace corridors, her mind swirling with emotions she couldn’t fully comprehend. Her heart ached, and her chest felt tight, as if caught in a dilemma. She had stormed out of Sath’s study, tears stinging her eyes, but now she wasn’t sure if it was anger or confusion—or something far more complicated—that made her flee.
His words echoed in her mind, refusing to let her rest.
“Come back to me… be mine again.”
Hadn’t he manipulated her? Wasn’t everything he’d done—his tenderness, his care, his love—a part of his mission? a carefully crafted act to gain her trust and infiltrate her village? But now, with his raw confession, the certainty she had clung to for years began to waver.
Her mission had been simple: get close to Sath, make him trust her,
