2025-09-06 23:14:06
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Chapter 31. The Spider in the Web.
Vin had always believed that families were just nests of weakness, no matter how powerful or polished. The Tyrels were no different. From the moment she slipped into their marble halls disguised in an apron and a skirt, she could see the cracks forming. It was there in the way their servants whispered, in the tension that stained dinner conversations, in the way Rose’s eyes drifted toward the window whenever her grandfather spoke.But tonight, the fracture widened.She hadn’t meant to overhear it, not at first. Vin had been carrying a tray of silver goblets, moving soundlessly along the edge of the drawing room when Mr. Mason, Rose’s grandfather, dropped the bombshell. His voice carried the kind of authority only old men with too much money and too many years behind them possessed.“The hall is being prepared,” he said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “You will marry, Rose. It is already decided.”The silence that followed was exquisite. Vin didn’t need to see Rose’s face to k
Chapter 30. The Choice of Chains.
The Tyrel estate was quieter than usual. Night had settled with its silvery weight, blanketing the gardens in moonlight, but the silence inside the marble halls felt tense, rehearsed, as if every servant and family member was acting out their roles on a stage.Rose sat in the drawing room with her mother on one side, her father across from her, and the looming figure of her grandfather, Mr. Mason, at the head of the chamber. A fire burned in the hearth, throwing long shadows across the ornate furniture.It was supposed to be an intimate family evening, but Rose felt the heavy pressure before anyone spoke.Mr. Mason cleared his throat. His voice, gravelly with age and authority, filled the room.“Rose, my dear. The time has come for us to speak plainly about your future.”Her fingers tightened around the armrest. “My future?”“Yes,” he said firmly, eyes like cold iron. “Your return is a blessing, but it also means we must move forward. Plans have already been made. The family hall is b
Chapter 29. Fractures in the Quiet.
The Tyrel mansion was grand as always, its marble floors polished to mirror shine, its towering windows spilling golden light into endless corridors. But for Rose, the house felt like a cage. The walls that once held her childhood memories now pressed in on her, suffocating her with the weight of unspoken truths.Everyone treated her return like a miracle. Her mother hovered constantly, fussing over her meals, insisting she rest. Her father pretended to be calm, but she caught the way his eyes lingered on her every time she entered a room, as though checking she was really there. To them, she was safe now. But Rose knew better.She had woken up more than once in a cold sweat, Seth’s voice echoing in her head, his blood staining her palms in memory. She could still see the tree branch jutting grotesquely through his side, could still feel the tremor of his body as he told her to leave him behind. She hadn’t left, but that didn’t mean she had forgiven him.Because the truth gnawed at h
Chapter 28. Lines in the Sand.
The underground command room buzzed with quiet urgency. The hum of generators mixed with the faint crackle of screens and the soft whirring of surveillance drones parked in their charging bays. Seth stood upright now, the bandages hidden beneath a fresh tactical shirt, his breathing steady. It was almost hard to believe he had been half dead just days ago.Lucas stood beside him, his posture rigid, eyes narrowed at the holographic console table between them. They had spent the last three hours cutting through possibilities, sharpening contingencies like blades on whetstones. Every move Vin could make, they tried to anticipate. Every step Seth and Lucas could counter, they discussed until there were no words left unspoken.When they were finally satisfied with the web of strategy they had built, Lucas gave a single nod.“It’s time.”Seth exhaled, his hand brushing the faint scar under his ribs. The reminder of how close he’d come to being buried in those woods never really left him. Bu
Chapter 27. Shadows of Fallout.
The first sensation Seth felt when consciousness returned was air. Not ragged, painful gulps like before, but steady, clean breaths filled his lungs with a clarity he hadn’t tasted in months. His eyes cracked open to the sterile glow of the underground chamber. The ceiling above him was painted in pale white light, and machines hummed a chorus around his bed.He simply lay there for a moment, letting the realisation wash over him: he was alive.And more than that, he felt different. Lighter, sharper. His muscles twitched with a coiled energy, as if every sinew had been reforged in fire. The constant heaviness that had weighed on him since Vin’s last attack, the sluggish drag of the inhibitors that once caged his strength were gone. His body thrummed with dangerous freedom.He shifted upright slowly, wincing at the ache in his side. The pain was real, sharp enough to remind him he wasn’t invincible, but beneath the pain was power. Unrestricted, unbound power.The door hissed open.Luca
Chapter 26. The Cost of Survival.
The last thing Seth remembered was the sound of rotor blades and Rose’s voice, sharp with panic. Then darkness swallowed him whole.When he came to, he wasn’t in the forest anymore. He was flat on a cold metal table, blinding lights burning down on him, and voices swam in the background.“Stabilize him.”“His blood pressure is dropping.”“Get the branch out... careful, don’t tear the artery.”Hands pressed into him, needles pierced his veins, masks hovered above him. The smell of antiseptic stung his nose, so strong it felt like drowning in chemicals. He tried to move, tried to speak, but his body didn’t obey.A mask descended over his face. A calm voice whispered, “Sleep, soldier. We’ve got you.”And Seth fell again, this time deeper.***Hours blurred into eternity.When he opened his eyes again, he wasn’t sure how much time had passed. All he knew was pain. His body felt hollowed out, stitched together, heavier than stone. But underneath the ache was something else, something pulsi
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