Chapter 254 For The Moment

• The remainder of the day they spent in ease, gathered in the castle’s wide courtyard. Laughter echoed as Camelia and Tracy teased Ramsay about being “too royal” now to join in their playful bickering. Hawk challenged Mike to a strength contest, only for Ragmus to join in and crush both of them with ease, leaving them all roaring with laughter. Noah sat apart for a time, gazing skyward, but even he eventually let the tension melt into smiles shared with his companions.
• It was peaceful—so peaceful it felt almost unreal, as though the world outside had forgotten them. The air carried a warmth they hadn’t known for a long time. For a fleeting moment, it was as if they were simply friends, free of burdens. Yet beneath every laugh, beneath every playful jab, they could not forget what awaited them.
• The shadow of Marcelos loomed in all their minds. He was out there, waiting, ending, carrying out his plan, and watching. And no matter how bright the day in the castle had been, they knew the night beyond its walls belonged to him.