It felt as though my entire life had been a lie, a beautiful lie wrapped in the golden sheen of duty, loyalty, and love.
But beneath that veneer was something dark, something twisted, and I couldn’t shake the nauseating feeling that had settled in the pit of my stomach.
I had always trusted them, had believed in the Elders and their wisdom. They were the pillars of Solaris, unbreakable and pure—or so I had thought.
I shook my head, trying to keep back the thoughts that assailed me, all the memories that flooded my mind, all the doubts that I’d been struggling with of late—everytime I’d questioned the Elders, the times I’d disagreed with them…my instincts had been screaming at me, but I had ignored them, too blind to see.
Their betrayal cut deeper than any blade, and I struggled to reconcile the figures I had revered for so long with the cold, calculating manipulators they truly were.
“They used me, Dario,” I said, my voice laced with bitterness. “All those years, all that trust… it was a lie.”
Dario watched me, his dark eyes filled with a quiet intensity. “But now you know the truth.”
“They were willing to sacrifice everything, everyone, to achieve their goals. And I, in my blind faith, almost played right into their hands,” I said bitterly. My breath was coming faster now as I realized just how close I had come to leading Solaris and my people into disaster.
My breath hitched, my pulse pounding in my ears. I sank to the ground, my legs too weak to hold me any longer.
I pressed my hands to my face, trying to block out the world, but all I could feel was the sharp sting of betrayal, cutting deeper with every passing moment.
I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to hold onto the pieces of myself that felt like they were shattering, slipping through my fingers.
A sharp, angry sob escaped me, and I buried my hands in the dry dirt.
Before I could stop myself, my hands lit with a soft, white glow. Flames danced around my fingertips, responding to the turmoil inside me, casting shadows on the parched ground around me.
I could feel my power slipping from my control, the energy crackling just beneath the surface, eager to break free, and for a moment, I let it.
I let it surge through me, filling the emptiness within me with crackles and sparkles of light, feeding my anger and letting it burn itself out.
And all the while, Dario said nothing, simply watching as my powers lashed out of control.
“Enjoying the show?” I couldn’t hide the bitterness in my voice, and I didn’t try.
“Hmm.”
Dario’s voice drifted over from the edge of the field, soft andcalm.
I turned sharply, the glow around my hands fading as I fought to steady myself. He was leaning against a tree as he watched me, shadows curling around him like a shroud, his dark gaze fixed on me.
Meryn perched on his shoulder, her watchful eyes a mirror of his intensity.
“Why did you stay?” I asked, my voice barely more than a whisper. “Wanted to gloat?”
He pushed away from the tree, stepping into the faint moonlight, his movements graceful and unhurried. “Just making sure you were alright.”
A surge of irritation flared in my chest, but beneath it was a familiar ache, a quiet, dangerous thrill at his presence. I gritted my teeth, fighting to push it away, to bury it beneath the anger and the hurt.
“Well, I hope you’re satisfied now,” I snapped. “You were right all along. The Elders aren’t what they seem, and I was a fool to believe otherwise.”
Dario stepped closer, his movements slow and deliberate, and though he was still several feet away, it felt like he was much closer.
His gaze never left mine, dark and unreadable, and I could feel the intensity of his presence like a physical thing, wrapping around me like the shadows that always clung to him.
For a moment, I thought he might smirk, might revel in the fact that I had finally come to see things his way.
But instead, he simply inclined his head, his voice quiet. “It’s not satisfaction I feel, Elena. I’d rather you never had to face this truth at all.”
His words cut through the bitterness that had curled tight in my chest, leaving a hollow ache in its place.
