Chapter 48 A Reckoning

• ~ Elara ~
• The tension in the room was suffocating. I could feel it pressing down on my chest the moment I stepped into the council chamber. The air was thick with unspoken accusations, simmering resentment, and the weight of past betrayals. I straightened my posture, reminding myself to stay calm, but it was impossible to ignore the heavy stares that followed me.
• Thorne walked beside me, silent and brooding, his presence commanding as always. He had summoned me to this meeting, and though I was dreading it, I knew I had no choice. Everyone in the room had their own agenda, their own motives for wanting me here or for wanting me gone. And I would have to face all of them.