Semua Bab The Demoted Luna : Bab 11 - Bab 20

Nia’s POV The council chamber was already filled by the time I arrived, the low murmur of voices weaving through the space in a way that told me this meeting would not be as straightforward as the previous ones, because there was a certain tension in the air that had nothing to do with strategy or resources and everything to do with speculation.I stepped inside without hesitation, my posture straight, my expression composed, though my gaze moved carefully across the room, noting the elders who sat with their hands folded too tightly, the ones who leaned toward each other whispering just before I entered, and the few who avoided my eyes entirely.Torin was already seated at the head.His presence alone steadied the room slightly, though I could tell from the way his fingers tapped once against the armrest that he had already sensed what this meeting would turn into.I moved to my place beside him, acknowledging the elders with a slight nod before taking my seat.“Shall we begin?” Tor

Nia’s POV The day had been steady, almost too steady, the kind of quiet that never truly meant peace but instead carried something beneath it that waited for the right moment to surface, and I moved through my rounds with that awareness sitting quietly at the back of my mind as I checked on the training grounds, spoke briefly with the quartermasters, and ensured that the patrol rotations were being followed without lapses.And I held onto that control carefully, because everything else lately had begun to feel like it was slipping into something harder to contain.I walked down the corridor that led toward the inner section of the packhouse, my steps measured, my expression composed, though my gaze moved subtly over every detail, every guard, every shift in posture that might indicate something out of place.A maid rushed past the corner ahead, her breathing uneven, her hands clutching the edge of her apron as she looked around in clear distress.“Where is the physician?” she asked,

Nia's POV I did not slow down as I left the packhouse, my steps carrying me forward with purpose, my chest still tight from everything that had just unfolded, though I forced my breathing to remain steady because panic would not help me now, and losing control would only make things worse.My children were missing.That thought repeated itself, steady and sharp, pushing everything else aside as I made my way toward my quarters, my eyes scanning every path, every corner, every movement along the way, searching for anything that would point me in their direction.By the time I reached my quarters, my hand pushed the door open without hesitation, the force of it making a faint sound against the wall as I stepped inside.Kaela was already there.She stood near the center of the room, pacing in controlled steps, her hands clasped behind her back, her expression tight with focus as the other female guards moved around, checking spaces that had already been checked, their movements restless

Darren's POV The weight of the chains did not bother me as much as the silence did, because silence had a way of stretching time into something that pressed against the mind, and as I sat there with my back resting against the cold wall, my hands bound and my legs restricted, I found myself listening more than thinking, my senses extending beyond the room, searching for anything that did not belong, anything that might break the stillness that had settled too comfortably around me.I tilted my head slightly, my gaze drifting toward the window as I watched the faint movement of the curtains, the night air slipping in through the narrow opening, and I allowed my breathing to remain steady, controlled, even though there was a part of me that refused to relax, a part that had learned long ago that confinement never meant safety.“They believe this is enough,” I murmured to myself, my lips curving faintly as I shifted my wrist against the chain, testing it again, feeling the resistance, m

Torin’s POV The weight of the moment did not settle gradually, it came all at once, pressing against my chest in a way that made it difficult to separate the pain already there from the tension building in the room, and as the guard’s words lingered in the air, I could feel every pair of eyes shifting, calculating, waiting for a command that could tilt everything in one direction or another.Narek stepped closer to me, his movement controlled but urgent, his voice lowered just enough to keep it between us, though the tension around us made every word feel louder than it was.“What should be done?” he asked.I opened my mouth to respond.Then my body betrayed me.The ground did not move, yet it felt as though it shifted beneath my feet, my balance faltering just slightly as the sharp pain in my chest flared again, stronger than before, forcing my breath to hitch as I staggered back a fraction, my hand instinctively moving to steady myself.But before I could fully regain control, she w