The Traitor

Chapter 16

"As the gate opened."

The words struck like lightning.

For several seconds, nobody spoke.

Nobody moved.

Then Ronan's expression turned deadly.

"Who opened it?"

The scout swallowed.

"We don't know."

The answer only made things worse.

Somewhere inside Shadow Hollow was a traitor.

Someone who had lived among them.

Eaten beside them.

Fought beside them.

And betrayed them.

Ronan immediately turned to his captains.

"Seal every route to the western district."

The warriors sprinted away.

The siege had changed.

This was no longer an attack from outside.

The enemy was already inside.

---

The western district erupted into chaos.

Families fled through the streets.

Children cried.

Warriors rushed toward the breach.

Magnus's soldiers poured through the opened gate like a flood.

Lyra stood atop the wall, watching the battle unfold.

Fear clawed at her chest.

Not for herself.

For the people below.

People who had welcomed her when she had nowhere else to go.

People who were now bleeding because of her.

A hand settled on her shoulder.

Ronan.

"This isn't your fault."

Lyra's jaw tightened.

"It doesn't matter."

His silver eyes studied her.

"It does."

Before she could reply, another strange sensation washed over her.

The Sight.

The ability awakened during her second transformation.

Suddenly, flashes appeared before her eyes.

Quick.

Fragmented.

Like broken pieces of a puzzle.

A hallway.

A torchlit corridor.

A hand pulling a lever.

A silver ring.

A familiar face.

Lyra gasped.

The vision vanished.

"What happened?" Ronan asked.

"I saw something."

His expression sharpened.

"What?"

"The traitor."

Hope flickered across his face.

"Who is it?"

Lyra hesitated.

The vision had been unclear.

But one detail stood out.

"The person wore a silver ring."

---

Hours later, the battle raged throughout the western district.

Shadow Hollow's warriors fought fiercely.

But the enemy kept advancing.

Magnus had planned this well.

Too well.

Almost as though someone inside the city had provided him with information.

Ronan's captains gathered inside the command hall.

Maps covered the table.

Reports arrived every minute.

Losses mounted.

Frustration filled the room.

Then Mara entered.

Her face pale.

"My King."

Everyone looked up.

"What is it?" Ronan asked.

Mara placed an object on the table.

A silver ring.

The room froze.

Lyra immediately recognized it.

The same ring from her vision.

"Where did you find that?"

Mara's expression darkened.

"In the western gatehouse."

Silence.

Every warrior stared at the ring.

Ronan slowly picked it up.

His face hardened.

"I know this symbol."

Lyra leaned forward.

"What is it?"

The Rogue King's jaw clenched.

"It belongs to an old order."

A chill spread through the room.

"What kind of order?"

Ronan looked directly at Lyra.

"The descendants of the First Council."

The room erupted.

The Council again.

Always the Council.

The conspiracy reached deeper than anyone imagined.

Then the doors burst open.

A wounded guard stumbled inside.

Blood covered his armor.

"My King!"

Ronan rushed forward.

"What happened?"

The guard struggled to breathe.

"We found the gatekeeper."

"Alive?"

The guard shook his head.

"No."

A heavy silence followed.

"The traitor killed him."

Fear swept through the room.

The real traitor was still free.

Still hiding.

Still among them.

---

Elsewhere in Shadow Hollow...

A cloaked figure slipped through the shadows.

Silent.

Careful.

Watching.

The city was distracted by war.

Exactly as planned.

The figure entered an abandoned building.

A single candle burned inside.

Waiting.

Another man stood in the darkness.

The Shadow Fang.

The assassin removed his hood.

Cold eyes met the cloaked figure's.

"Report."

The traitor smiled.

"The gate is open."

"Good."

"And Lyra?"

The Shadow Fang's expression darkened.

"Her powers are awakening faster than expected."

The traitor frowned.

"Will that be a problem?"

For the first time, uncertainty crossed the assassin's face.

"Yes."

The answer hung heavily in the room.

Then the Shadow Fang stepped forward.

"We move tonight."

The traitor nodded.

"What about Ronan?"

A cold smile appeared.

"Magnus wants him dead."

The candle flickered.

Then went out.

Leaving only darkness.

---

Back in the command hall, Lyra's heartbeat suddenly accelerated.

The Sight activated again.

A powerful vision slammed into her mind.

A dark room.

A candle.

Two figures speaking.

One was the Shadow Fang.

The other...

The other removed their hood.

Lyra's eyes widened.

Shock ripped through her.

"No."

The vision ended.

Ronan grabbed her shoulders.

"Lyra!"

She stared at him.

Unable to speak.

Lyra finally sees the traitors face.

And it was someone she knew.

Someone everyone trusted.

But can she expose them before they strike again, or is she already too late? she thought.