Part B: Chap 20

Mariana's Pov

The meeting has suddenly migrated from my mother’s laboratory to the parliament room. We’re all filing through the hallway into the parliament room, everyone maintaining a silence that can create chaos.

And by everyone, I mean: My mother, my father, my brother, Uncle Ares, Uncle Alessio, Uncle Dean, and Uncle Maxwell.

The gravity of the situation, which I know nothing of, seems to be so deep my uncles didn’t even care to hug me after a long time of not seeing me.

I step into the dimly lit room, my heart racing with every creak of the old wooden floorboards beneath my feet. The air is thick with an eerie silence, making my skin crawl.

Shadows dance across the walls, like dark specters watching my every move. I try to shake off the feeling, but it only intensifies as I venture deeper.

Fear grips my chest, squeezing tight. I can't shake the sense that I'm being led into a trap. Every step feels like a betrayal, as if I'm walking further into darkness.

My breath comes in sho