(Damien's POV)
The throne room reeked of smoke and fear.
Every breath I took tasted of iron and ash the remnants of a kingdom unraveling. The air was thick with whispers, the kind that cling to the walls long after the words have died.
Guards hurried past with reports, servants cried in corners, and beyond the stained glass windows, the kingdom roared with unease.
Selene was gone.
My sister, the light of the court, the promise of the divine bloodline had vanished with the one man I trusted to protect her. Kael, my captain, my friend. Now branded a traitor.
I stood before the council table, its surface scattered with sealed scrolls, maps, and fragments of panic. Twelve men in crimson robes sat beneath the banner of the moon, their faces pale and drawn.
"She is corrupted," one of them spat, his voice trembling. "The gods warned us through the eclipse. Lucien's taint festers within her, the kingdom must act."
"She is my sister," I growled.
