Lyssandra
Oh, Goddess.
I stood frozen in the long stone corridor that connected to the chamber where we had just learned Zarek’s fate, my breath coming unevenly as the weight of it all crushed down on me. The echo of the priest’s words still rang in my ears, reverberating through my skull like a curse spoken aloud. I could not begin to comprehend the magnitude of the horror I had unleashed upon this pack. Upon him.
I had done everything within my power to ensure Zarek ruled well. Every calculated decision, every manipulation, every quiet sacrifice had been made in his name. I had sworn, silently and fiercely, that I would never allow him to fail. And yet here he was, standing at the edge of ruin, slipping further toward an abyss I had unknowingly carved for him.
I hated seeing him fall
