QUENNOR’S POV
The shadows clung to me like a second skin, wrapping around my limbs and seeping into the cracks I could no longer hide. I sat at the edge of the stone balcony, the cold biting into my palms as they rested on the railing. Moonlight washed the castle walls in silver, a haunting beauty that made everything feel still, except me. My breath fogged in the crisp night air, and far below, the wildlands stirred with a soft rustle, like a thousand secrets being passed from tree to tree. Secrets I wasn't ready to voice.
Inside my chest, a storm brewed. Not the loud kind. No lightning, no thunder. Just a slow, relentless churning that scraped at my ribs and made it hard to breathe. The truth pulsed behind my teeth, demanding release. But I knew what would happen if I spoke it.
Nyqxee
