|| Penelope ||
The candlelight flickered against the old stone walls as I sat in the council chamber, my thoughts tangled in the revelations of the past few days. The Eclipse, the rise of darkness, the Throne of Night— the entanglement of the past and, above all, Sylvia’s return to the picture. But even beyond her, there was one question that refused to leave me, gnawing at the edges of my mind: why was I chosen?
Across from me, Richard leaned forward, his sharp gaze scanning the ancient texts sprawled across the table. The weight of his responsibility sat heavily on his shoulders— he had sworn to guard me, and I knew he would die before he let them take me.
“They need you dead to complete their plan,” Lucian said, his voice grim.
“But it won’t be easy for them. Not while I’m breathing
