The torches lining the corridors burned low, their flames casting long shadows against the stone walls. The weight of the night pressed in from all sides, thick and suffocating. Damien stood at the edge of his throne room, his fingers gripping the stone railing as he stared into the darkness beyond the castle walls.
Kara had returned.
The words echoed in his mind like a curse.
He had spent days searching for her, calling upon every resource at his disposal, tearing apart every lead that could point to where she had gone. And now—just like that—she was back, as if nothing had happened.
A soft knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts.
"Enter," he commanded, his voice quieter than he intended.
Akeldama stepped inside, her silver eyes filled with something he did not want to name.
