Samuel

Samuel POV:

The air in the Dean's office was thick, almost suffocating, as if the walls themselves could sense our collective anguish. Seated alongside my brothers, my sister, and various members of our royal army, I found it hard to focus. Cameron's jaw was set, a telltale sign of his inner turmoil. Our sister Alana, who had been through a harrowing ordeal, began her recount for the second time. We had asked her to repeat her story, not out of disbelief, but out of desperation to catch any detail we might have overlooked the first time. Alana cleared her throat.

"As I said, we had formed a protective circle around Lyla. The explosion happened so fast; it was disorienting. They had the element of surprise on their side."

Her eyes met mine, haunted and remorseful, as if she could have single-handedly fended off the attack and saved our mate.

"After the explosion, I remember fighting back. I was outnumbered; we all were. But they were particularly interested in Lyla. They managed to sep