Chapter 67: Desperation

Chapter 67: Desperation

The castle felt different. It was quieter, more suffocating, as if the walls themselves were closing in on everyone inside. Jarrel paced the length of his study, his footsteps heavy, each one making the room tremble. His hands clenched into fists, his nails digging into his palms. The air around him crackled with the barely-contained rage coursing through him. Hana was still not found.

She was gone. Gone.

It had been hours since she disappeared, but it felt like an eternity. His mind raced with every possible scenario—where she could be, who might have taken her. But worse than the uncertainty was the gnawing feeling of loss. She left on her own accord. She ran away from him. She chose to leave him because he was her monster.

Magnus who had just returned with the troops stood by the door, head bowed, his guilt and sorrow palpable in the room. He had promised Jarrel that he was going to find her no matter what, and now the beta’s shame hung over him like a stor