Hwarthorne slowly rose to his feet, his shadow stretching long across the room. His eyes were fixed on me, sharp and unflinching.
“I’ve heard many things about you, Kael,” he said, his was tone calm. “Your braveness, your unshaken attitude, your refusal to bow before fear. Perhaps tonight… I’ll see for myself if all of that is true.”
I clenched my fists, my jaw tightening. His words brushed past me, but the fury inside was already lit, burning hotter with every breath.
“Why?” My voice cracked the air, low but cutting. “Why did you do it, Hwarthorne? Tell me why.”
I stepped forward, my eyes boring into his. “My son was just nine. Nine, damn it!” My chest heaved, anger and grief tangled in every word. “Why did you have to let Liam witness such pain? Why?”
Memories crashed through me—t
