Chapter 53

• Rylan's POV
• I felt relief as the servant's words hung in the air. "You are all free to leave," he said, his tone neutral. "The King has decided to give you a second chance. It was your parents' mistake, not yours, after all." He turned on his heel and exited the room, leaving us to our devices.
• I was already on my feet, eager to get out of the cold room and back into the bright sunlight. "I'm out of here," Rio said, his voice dripping with disdain. "If our parents have done wrong, that's on them. We didn't ask for this."