LOGINKiara’s POV The cell wasn’t large enough to pace in, but I tried anyway. I took one, two, three steps and just before coming against the wall. I didn't want to, but in the absence of anything else to do, I pressed my palms against the wall. The stone underneath was cold and it sent shivers down my spine. The air tasted like iron and damp rot, the kind that crawled into your lungs and made you forget what sunlight felt like.I didn’t know how long it had been since they threw me down here. Minutes maybe , or hours even? I wasn't sure, because the silence was cruel enough to stretch time into something unrecognizable. Every sound felt amplified around me, and I feared that if I didn't get out of here soon, I was going to go crazy. Everything seemed to be getting to me, from the drip of water from the ceiling, down to the scrape of my shoes, and the uneven rhythm of my breathing.And through it all, one thought kept clawing at my skull.He used me, and I let him. He'd played me, and
Kiara’s POV The hall erupted into chaos, and even though my brain was desperately sending warning signals to my mind, it felt like my body refused to process it. All around me, voices blurred, chairs scraped, and glasses shattered, but all I could hear was the wet, choking sound spilling from Tamia’s throat. It echoed all around me, and even though we weren't exactly best of friends, I wouldn't be exaggerating or lying if I said I wouldn't ever be able to forget that. I tried to pull my eyes away, maybe that would help with the shock, but it didn't. Her fingers clawed at Darius’s shirt, her eyes wide with terror as blood streamed down her chin.“Someone get help!” Darius roared, his voice cracking through the noise. “Where's the damned healer?!”Guards rushed forward at Darius' command, and the Healers stumbled over themselves as they rushed in. Someone screamed again, high and shrill, and the scent of blood hit the air so thick I could taste it on my tongue.I stood frozen, my
Kiara’s POV The hall shimmered with gold and laughter, but I could barely breathe. It felt like a freight train was ramming against my chest, but that wasn't the worst part. No matter how uncomfortable I felt, I couldn't bring myself to react. Not that anyone would notice, but because I wasn't quite sure I'd done the right thing. Every sound, from the clinking of glasses, to the rustle of silk, down to the laughter that didn’t quite reach the eyes, they all felt like a blade scraping against glass. My glass.I took my seat quietly, hands clasped in my lap so no one would see them tremble. The air smelled of roasted meat and honeyed wine, but all I could taste was the bitterness of my own nerves.The vial’s contents were long gone, mixed into a single goblet hours ago. I told myself to act normal, to be normal but it was easier said then done. I muttered to myself that I was hust another face at the table, another guest pretending that nothing had shifted beneath the surface, even
Kiara’s POV Dawn came cold and reluctant, like it didn’t want to be here either, and I wasn't sure how I felt about that. I knew that eventually, I was going to have to meet him, but even as I walked to the spot he'd asked me to meet him, I wasn't sure if my mind really was in this. I'd spent the remainder of time trying to convince myself that I was doing the right thing. That even though Rowan's words were twisted, there was a hint of truth in it, and maybe if it was so hard for me to take it in all at once, the presence of an external force would make the process a little bit seamless. The cold air nipped at my skin in that moment, and I just knew time for second guessing was up. It was now or never, and I was going to give this my all. Mist curled low across the courtyard as I stepped outside, my boots whispering against the damp earth. I didn’t tell anyone where I was going, not Hazel, not Davis and especially not Darius.I hadn't spoken to him since our last interaction
Kiara’s POV The room was quiet, too quiet and I hated it. It was the kind of quiet that didn’t comfort,it accused. It grated against my nerves and I hated that it was pressing against me from all sides, despite how hard I tried to fight it. Every breath I took seemed too loud, like the walls themselves were judging me for still being here. For still breathing after everything.Rowan’s words kept replaying in my mind, slithering through the cracks of my resolve like smoke. “You could be more than this.” He'd said. It wasn't just the way he'd said it, but the purpose and determination behind his voice. He was the one who wanted to kill me. The same one who yelled in my ears that Darius would never get to me in time, the same one that promised to make my life a living hell If I dared to say the truth, so what thr fuxj was he trying to play at, by helping me. “You could have power, Kiara. Real power.”I told myself it was manipulation. That I wouldn’t let him get into my head, but
Kiara’s POV The days bled together after Darius left, and I wasn't sure how I felt about it. I just sat there, rooted in my spot, hoping that a miracle was going to happen somehow. However, as the days went by, it became clearer and clearer, that I was playing a losing game. Nothing was going to happen, and if anything did come forth, then there was a harsh truth that came with it. Darius wouldn't be anywhere near my fantasy coming true. There was no morning, no night, just a slow, heavy stretch of silence that pressed on me until I forgot how to breathe properly.I stopped showing up for meals at the common room. I barely went out of my room unless I had to. In fact, I couldn't remember the last time I stepped out of the four walls of the place I called my room. With each passing day, it felt more and more like a prison cell, but I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Hazel brought food once or twice, left it by the door, and when she realized I wasn’t touching any of it, she







