The palace thought it knew what was coming.
It braced itself for fire—a king's wrath, punishment handed down with the cold certainty of someone who decided on guilt long before the trial even started. People whispered he'd rip through Celeste’s quarters, fury echoing in every marble corridor. But instead, Kael slipped away into this heavy, perfect silence. The guards followed him at first, their steps sharp and careful, but then they stopped at the edge of something they couldn't name. They found nothing—just an empty hallway where Kael should’ve been, swallowed up by shadows.
—
That night, the palace didn’t feel afraid or confused.
It just waited.
Every room, every stone, felt tense, like someone had twisted a wire until it threatened to snap. One wrong breath, one sound, and everyth
