Chapter 139

• Ian’s POV
• I stepped into the portal that would take me back to the vampire realm, my mind spinning with the weight of what we had just learned. The attack on the castle was worse than any of us could have anticipated. I had known the realm was in danger, but seeing the full extent of the destruction still caught me off guard. The weight of responsibility, of protecting not just Sophia and our unborn child but also my kingdom, pressed down on me like a suffocating fog.
• The moment I stepped out into the realm, I could feel it. The air was heavy with the scent of blood and smoke, the remnants of a battle that had clearly left its mark. The sky above was dark, streaked with angry clouds that blocked out the usual silver glow of the moon. The castle stood in the distance, but it was no longer the majestic fortress it once was. Parts of it were crumbling, sections blackened from fire. The walls, usually pristine and guarded, were now riddled with holes and shattered stone.