Semua Bab Thalia's Ashen Fate: Bab 91 - Bab 99

Amelia left with the clothes for Lyra and Adrix. I closed my eyes, taking a single, deep breath and clinging to the fragile hope that everything was proceeding as planned. A silent hope followed: They'll be fine. But it felt thin. Their capability was not in question; their survival, however, depended on remaining unseen.The quiet of my room became a cage, and I began to pace. Muffled footsteps from next door broke my rhythm. They were awake. The thought struck me with urgency: Lyra would need to change, and I needed to provide a distraction. Amelia would be well on her way to Dolion by now; the library was my own stage.In the hallway, I heard soft laughter from their room. A happy couple, I mused, or at least, he was fiercely protective. As I continued toward the library, I noticed the atmosphere in the castle had shifted. Even the maids I passed held their tongues, their usual whispers and scoffs replaced by a tense self-containment. Dolion's presence had cast a cloud over everyon

The slap of running feet against stone shattered the quiet. Amelia was on her feet in an instant, her body a live wire of tension. "I have to go," she clipped out, her gaze darting toward the hallway. She spun to face me, and the grim set of her jaw sent a fresh wave of ice through my veins. "Thalia." Her eyes, chips of hard, serious obsidian, locked onto mine. "The dungeons… and everything after. Be safe."Her words were a death sentence for my meticulously crafted plan. It didn't matter. The thought was a shield I raised against the rising panic. Let the pieces fall where they may. I will see this through.A shadow of a smile, fleeting and full of sorrow, touched Amelia’s lips. "Until next time." Then she was gone, a blur of motion swallowed by the doorway.In the ringing silence, her footsteps faded, leaving me alone with the shimmering ghost of the man I loved."Well," I whispered, the word trembling on my lips. "I suppose it's time."The translucent image of Cassius flickered, h

The portal snapped shut behind me with the sound of cracking bone. My heart hammered against my ribs, a frantic drum I couldn't silence. I tried to drag in a steadying breath, but Lyra was already there, her expression grim."Forgive the intrusion," I choked out. "Gather everyone. Now."Without a word, she turned and led the way. I followed her down the hall, the frantic rhythm in my chest slowly beginning to ease. Still, the ghost of Blair's mana clung to my skin—a phantom chill and the faint, cloying smell of deep rot.Lyra stopped at the door to the sitting room. "I'll get them," she murmured. I saw her hand tremble as she reached for the handle. I gave her a curt nod, and she disappeared down the corridor as I stepped inside.The room felt vast. I sank on the chair, my gaze fixing on an intricate knot in the woodgrain—anything to anchor my racing mind. Would they be ready by nightfall? Blair knows I'm working against her now; there's no telling what she'll do. A tremor ran through

The world ended in the space between one breath and the next. The sky did not fall; it was devoured, swallowed by a creeping darkness that snuffed out the sun. My eyes shot to Cassius, his face a chiseled mask of grim understanding against the unnatural twilight.He moved toward me, his usual grace replaced by a taut urgency. "They've begun," he said, his voice a low tremor that betrayed his attempt at calm.Panic, cold and sharp, tried to rise in my throat. I crushed it down. My own voice emerged, hard as whetstone. "Our next move?" I pivoted to face the others, letting them see the iron in my gaze. "There is no time to falter. Listen to me!"My hand swept over a third of our force. "You—evacuate Tirilla. Get the citizens to the eastern gate. Keep them safe, or die trying." They snapped a salute, a single, sharp sound, and broke into a run as Cassius tore a shimmering, violent rift in the very air beside them—a portal of swirling white and gold.My gaze fell on the next group. "You a