And she tells them the truth.
“You were deceived.”
Her voice carries. Stronger than I expected. The crying girl from five minutes ago is gone—this is something else. Something harder.
“All of you. For the past year.”
She pauses. Her gaze moves to Riley’s body. Still. Silent. Eyes fixed on nothing.
“The woman who ruled here while I was gone—the one who wore my face and gave orders in my name—was not me.”
The silence shifts. Sharpens.
“Her name was Riley. She was my mirror-self. My sister.” Bree’s voice wavers, but she doesn’t stop. “She was manipulated. Used. Ethos pulled her out of the Void and put her in my place while I was trapped. Everything she did here—the cruelty, the control, the things done in my name—that was his design. Not hers.”
She takes a breath “And not mine.”
She looks back at the crowd.
“She died saving my life. Her last breath was spent telling these men, my men, how to keep me alive.” Bree’s jaw tightens. “Whatever you think of her, whatever she did while wearing my face—she was a victim too. And in the end, she chose me over him.”
Some of the Feeders glance at Riley’s body. Others stare at Bree like they’re seeing her for the first time.
“Phil was never Phil.” Bree continues. “He was Ethos. The thing that’s been pulling strings from the Void for centuries. The Council’s puppet master. The reason Feeders have been hunted and enslaved and treated like weapons instead of people.”
She turns to Stellan.
He steps forward. His voice is quiet, but it cuts through everything.
“Ethos is dead. I can confirm it—I watched him collapse. The contract that bound him to this me is gone.” He pauses. “I felt it break.”
Bree looks at Seth.
He moves to her side, still unsteady, still pale. But his voice is clear.
“The Void is no more. Ethos’s realm collapsed when Bree overloaded the network.” He swallows. “She didn’t just kill him. She destroyed everything he built. There’s nothing left.”
Silence. Complete.
Bree lets it stretch. Then she speaks again.
The Feeders stare. Some of them look terrified. Some look awed.
“You have a choice.”
Her voice is softer now. But no less certain.
“Youalwayshave a choice. Take the Oath or don’t. Stay or don’t. Follow me or find your own way.” She pauses. “You are free.”
Something shifts in the crowd. I see it happen—shoulders dropping, breath releasing, the tension of years of compulsion finally letting go.
“I will rebuild,” Bree continues. “I will make things right. For every Feeder who was abandoned. For every life Ethos touched. For all of you.”
She’s not asking for loyalty. She’s not demanding anything.
She’s offering.
And from the looks on their faces, they’re going to take it.
