Semua Bab THE SILVER LINING: Bab 81 - Bab 83

The days ran into one another. Time passed in the Citadel, but Miyal felt every passing moment stretching, as if his bones were imprisoned in an unyielding grip. There was no room for him to catch his breath, no release from the burden of being Alpha. The council, where once he used to sit and strategize with fellow visionaries, now came across as a court of vultures, all of whom were waiting for him to crash. He could sense their gaze, laden with judgment and anticipation, perpetually upon him.The Citadel was different. Its citizens, damaged by the plague, tormented by the memory of Perfera's cruel domination, were still recovering—but with doubts. Doubts about him. Doubts about the future. And why not? He'd let them down. He'd let Krishna down.Miyal's every move was burdened with that knowledge. In the council hallways, he struggled to maintain a steady voice as he went through the motions of leadership. Ancient plans needed to be reworked, new commands needed to be given, and the

Miyal remained frozen, his gaze fixed on the shadow where Ignatius had vanished. The biting wind pushed against him, an unspoken reminder that the world went on while his heart remained stuck in time. The last words of Ignatius resonated in his mind, cutting and absolute, but they could not eliminate the hurt. They could not forget Krishna.He was aware that he needed to move forward. The Citadel required it. The people required him to be the leader they once thought he was. He needed to lay aside the specters of the past of Krishna, of the Citadel before the plague and look to the future.As the wind grew stronger, causing him to shiver, Miyal felt an overwhelming reality solidify in his chest.How could he forget Krishna when every nook of this compound was riddled with memories of her?Everything seemed haunted in the garden, in the city streets, in the council chambers by her presence. Krishna's laughter, her voice, the way she had always believed in him and them, despite everythi