The castle loomed ahead, its towering spires shrouded in the orange glow of the setting sun. Despite its grandeur, an unsettling stillness hung in the air. Juliana tightened her grip on the reins, her mind racing with the revelation from the Whispering Forest.
Hak rode beside her, his expression somber. The projection of Fajr's warning played on a loop in her mind, the weight of her destiny pressing down on her shoulders. Whoever the traitor was, they were close—entrenched within the walls of her kingdom.
"I'll gather the commanders," Hak said, breaking the silence. "If what Fajr said is true, we need to prepare for an ambush."
Juliana nodded. "And I'll deal with the council. If there's a traitor among them, I need to know who it is."
Hak's jaw tightened. "Be careful. They're not above
