Chapter 10: The Breaking of the Chain

The hidden door clicked shut, sealing me in darkness, but the words I had overheard burned brighter than any sunstone in my mind. She must believe I have cast her aside. It is the only way to keep her safe. The paintings, the pendant, the raw, unvarnished love in that secret room—it all crashed against the cold, calculating narrative I had built. The foundation of my anger, my planned revenge, turned to sand. I was adrift in a sea of terrifying, hopeful confusion. I didn’t leave through...