THE SETUP
206 Words
Something wasn’t right.
I felt it the moment I stepped out that morning.
The air was different again.
Not quiet like before.
But tense.
Like something was waiting.
I walked carefully, my eyes scanning my surroundings. Ever since the last attack, I had been more alert.
More cautious.
Still…
I couldn’t shake the feeling.
“Lira.”
I turned.
One of the guards approached me quickly.
“The Alpha sent for you,” he said.
My chest tightened slightly.
“Where is he?”
“The east wing.”
That was strange.
Kael rarely stayed there.
Still, I nodded and followed.
The path grew quieter as we moved farther from the main area. Fewer people.
Less noise.
More isolation.
My steps slowed.
“This isn’t the usual way,” I said.
The guard didn’t respond.
That was my first real warning.
I stopped walking.
“Wait.”
He kept going.
Ignoring me.
Something snapped in my chest.
“Who sent you?” I demanded.
Slowly…
He turned.
And the look in his eyes—
It wasn’t loyalty.
It wasn’t respect.
It was something else.
Something colder.
“You should have stayed quiet,” he said.
My heart dropped.
This wasn’t Kael’s order.
This was a trap.
- Writer
