Chapter 54 With Regret

• Maya was quietly released from her bonds, her eyes meeting Ronan's with a mix of gratitude and sorrow. Luca and Sonia were taken away, their fates still uncertain, but they were alive, for now.
• As the crowd began to disperse, the division among them we're clear, but so was the authority of their king -- a reminder that in times of uncertainty, the throne still held the power to decide their fates.
• In the dark and unforgiving depths of the elf prison, Luca's mind struggled with fury and betrayal. The walls of the cell were high, their stone surfaces cold and unyielding. Moonlight, filtering through a narrow barred window, barely illuminated the small space where Luca and Sonia now found themselves imprisoned. The air was thick with dampness mingling with the bitterness that had settled in Luca's heart.