Chapter 79: The Mastermind Revealed

I froze, every muscle in my body tensing as the voice I hadn’t heard in years called my name.

“Sera.”

I turned slowly, dread pooling in my stomach. The shadows shifted, and out stepped a figure I had long buried in the darkest recesses of my memory.

“Father?” The word came out as a breath, barely audible. My heart pounded, a mix of shock and disbelief flooding my senses. “How… how are you alive?”

He stood there, tall and imposing, just as I remembered him—except now, there was something else, something darker etched into the lines of his face. His eyes, once warm and full of life, were cold, calculating.

“Surprised?” His voice was smooth, almost gentle, but there was an edge to it that sent chills down my spine. “You shouldn’t be. Did you really think I was gone for good?”

“I watched you die,” I whispered, the memory of that night flashing before my eyes. The blood, the screams, the fire. I had been so sure…

“Yes, you did.” His lips curled into a bitter smile. “But death, my dear Sera