The evening sun cast long shadows through the trees surrounding Lena’s cottage, turning the forest into a canvas of gold and deep orange. But Lena barely noticed the beauty outside as she sat by the window, staring blankly at the horizon. Her thoughts were a storm of anger, fear, and frustration. The meeting with the council had left her shaken. The revelation of their alliance with Kane, the accusations thrown her way, the weight of responsibility pressing down on her—it all felt suffocating.
How could the people she had sworn to protect turn against her so easily?
She let out a shaky breath, wrapping her arms around herself as the doubt began to creep in. Kane’s words echoed in her mind, the dark promises from her dream lingering like a poison. Was she truly the key to saving Ashen Hol
