All Chapters of The Heir I Know : Chapter 21 - Chapter 28

The narrow passage was filled with the scent of damp stone and decay, yet the oppressive air felt alive, like we were being watched by it as we moved. I struggled with steadying my trembling hands, the warmness of blood still clung to my fingers, reminding me of the life I had taken. Heart beat faster, echoing in my ears, Ryn held my shoulders firmly, encouraging me, but his look betrayed his words. “We need to keep moving. We would be able to get to the lower courtyard through the servant’s passage. Then, we can be safe…at least for now.”I nodded. I struggled to take a step, I felt aches all over my body, distressed not just because I was tired but by the gravity of what I had done. The scene rushed through my mind: I had taken someone’s life. Beneath the shock, I had a strange clarity, one which was strangely to me.Without saying a word, selves. Rays of light faintly lightened our part due to faint cracks, painting our shadows onto the rough stone floor. I sensed movement–a s

I had never believed reflection. They always moved too easily, too silently, as if they carriedsecrets the rest of us weren't meant to see. Tonight, however, I wasn't merely watchingreflections were walking among them. And I am so sure that one of them still has its breath.Coldness had always engulfed the passageways of the fortress, but it seems the stones bleed with uneasiness tonight. I took each footsteps softly, yet they still echoed in my ears. I pulled my cloak tighter, as though fabric could shield me from whatever lingered justbeyond the reach of the torchlight.There had been whispers in the hall earlier, servants muttering about strange movements near the western wing. At first, I shrugged it off but then Servants thrived on gossip. But then out of the corner ofmy eye caught a flicker, a presence that was gone as quickly as it came. Not Alaric. Something else. Something to watch.I should have gone to Alaric. Or perhaps. But trust is a delicate thing nowadays.Alaric'

I had always believed that stillness was comforting. The sound that came from the rustle of the branches and the hum from the unseen creatures had always felt like a shield, a veil that had covered and protected me from the world. Even though my chambers were overwhelmed in stillness, It was that kind. It was overwhelming, heavy and filled with unsaid truths that I wasn't ready to deal with.Every part of the council chamber replayed in my mind, the silent whispers, how Elowen was using her eyes to search through the room, every murmur of Alaric’s name dragging me back into the storm that I still struggled with.Alaric.My chest aches as I remember his name. The summit should have ended the fragile connection, the fragile though undeniable thread of recognition that we had. Now, his presence still remained with me.I placed my palms on the table that was before me.“I cannot afford this,” I whispered, though there was no one in the room to hear.But the words tasted hollow.The words

Lyriana’s POVThe silence that lingered in the morning was full of deception.It painted the sanctuary in a soft glow, the mist curling through the high windows as though it wanted to lull me into forgetting. But silence here was never mercy—it was weight. It seemed as if my chest carried it all, alongside my skin, and silently told me that I was still unsafe in the midst of the stone walls that were within.I could see the flicker, the careful bow in the eyes of the servant that brought my morning tray, the terrifying eyes and shaky hands as she served the bread before me. She wasn't trembling out of fear of me but rather because she carried something heavier than food.“Place it there,” I said calmly as I faced her, She obeyed quickly, without he usual sense of courtesy.I remained there, obseriving as the steam rose from the bowl. My stomach tightened but not as a result of hunger. The words that Elowen had earlier spoken felt like a dagger twisting inside of me: Freedom is an ill