Chapter 63: The Betrayal

The weight of betrayal hung heavy in the air, thick and suffocating. As I stood in the council chamber, the walls that once symbolized strength and unity now felt like the confines of a cage, trapping me in a nightmare that I could hardly believe was real.

The faces around me were etched with disbelief and shock, mirroring the turmoil that churned inside me.

“Start talking,” I demanded, my voice a cold blade cutting through the tension. My eyes were locked on the one who had brought us to this brink—Gideon, the man I had trusted with my life, now revealed as the architect of our downfall.

He met my gaze, his expression an unreadable mask, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes—regret, perhaps, or maybe just the satisfaction of a plan that had come to fruition.

“You want the truth, Sera?” he said, his voice low but unwavering. “Fine. You’ve earned that much.”

“Gideon, don’t do this,” Rowan pleaded from across the room, his fists clenched at his sides. The pain in his voice w