Chapter 106: The Confrontation

The dust settled slowly, and the echoes of the collapsing mill still rang in my ears. I was on my knees, coughing and blinking through the haze, trying to find my bearings.

Matthias was already on his feet, his silhouette stark against the faint light filtering through the ruined walls.

“You knew this was going to happen,” I rasped, forcing myself to stand. My body ached from the debris, but I ignored it. “You wanted it to happen.”

Matthias turned to face me, wiping blood from the cut I’d given him earlier with a smirk that made my blood boil.

“You’re sharp, Sera. Sharper than most. But you still don’t see the whole picture.”

“I see enough,” I snapped, taking a step toward him. “You’ve betrayed your own people. For what? Power? Control?”

He laughed, a cold, hollow sound that sent chills down my spine. “This isn’t just about power, Sera. It’s about survival.

The power that lies beneath Silverwood—it’s the key to our future. But only if it’s in the right hands.”

“Your hands?” I asked