The Real Target

(Ryker’s POV)

The council chamber had never felt heavier than it did that night.

We were waiting for my father, Elder Argus, and Elder Marcus to arrive. The silence pressed on everyone like huge boulder crushing us with its very might. Some shifted in their seats, others whispered nervously, but most just sat quietly, waiting for the meeting to begin.

I leaned back in my chair, my arms crossed, and my gaze fixed on the massive double doors at the far end of the hall. Earlier, I’d seen my father, and the sight of him unsettled me. His face was deathly pale, his shoulders heavy with worry. He hadn’t even met my eyes when he told me to prepare myself for the meeting, that no matter what I might hear tonight, I was to keep my composure.

That alone told me enough. Whatever this meeting was about… it had everything to do with me.

At last, the doors creaked open. My father and Elder Marcus stepped inside, followed closely by Elder Argus. One look at their grim faces was enough to confirm m