Chapter 152

Chapter 152: Chapter 152

The meeting took place in the old watchtower on the eastern edge of the academy grounds.

It was a forgotten place—crumbling stone walls, a rusted iron door, windows that hadn’t been cleaned in decades. No one came here anymore. No one except the four figures who now gathered in its shadow, their voices low, their faces grim.

Soren stood at the center of the room, his golden eyes sweeping over his companions. Corvin leaned against the far wall, his arms crossed, his expression unreadable. Ragnar sat on an overturned crate, his scarred face set in a hard line. Roderic stood near the door, his storm-gray eyes watching the darkness beyond.

"We can’t trust anyone else," Soren said quietly. "The official investigation has too many leaks. Every time we get close to the truth, someone gets there first. Draven was silenced before he could talk. Killian has vanished. Varek is in prison, but his network is still active."

"And you think there’s a traitor among us," Corvin said. It wasn’t a question.

"I know there is. Someone in our wider circle has been feeding information to the enemy. Someone who knew about the investigation before it even began."

Ragnar’s jaw tightened. "Who do you suspect?"

"Everyone. That’s why we’re doing this alone. Just the four of us. No one else can know what we’re doing."

Roderic nodded slowly. "A secret investigation. It makes sense. But it won’t be easy. We’ll be operating in the dark, with limited resources."

"We’ve operated in the dark before." Soren’s voice was hard. "We’ve survived worse."

He outlined the plan—simple, but effective. Corvin would continue tracking Killian, using his alchemical knowledge and his network of informants. Ragnar would watch the academy, monitoring the students and instructors for any sign of suspicious behavior. Roderic would use his tracking skills to follow leads the official investigation had abandoned.

"And you?" Corvin asked.

"I’ll handle Selene." Soren’s expression darkened. "She’s been lying to me since the moment I woke up. Valeria pointed me in her direction. It’s time I found out what she’s hiding."

Corvin nodded slowly. "Be careful. If Selene suspects you’re onto her, she’ll go to ground—or worse."

"I know. But I can’t keep playing the doting betrothed forever. Sooner or later, she’ll slip. And when she does, I’ll be ready."

The four of them stood in the dim tower, bound by grief and determination. They had lost so much. But they hadn’t lost their will to fight.

"Let’s get to work," Soren said.

In the Moon Court, Nyra was planning her escape.

She had spent hours wandering the palace, learning its layout. The corridors were vast and labyrinthine, but she was starting to understand their patterns. The guards—beings of pure moonlight patrolled at regular intervals. Their routes were predictable. Their blind spots were few, but they existed.

The gate is heavily guarded, Luna observed. But the garden wall is lower. And there’s a path through the star-field that leads to the edge of the realm.

What’s beyond the edge?

I don’t know. But it’s better than staying here.

Nyra stood at her window, staring at the endless expanse of stars. She had been in the Moon Court for weeks now, but time moved strangely here. She had no idea how long it had been in the mortal realm. Days? Weeks? Months? For all she knew, Soren had moved on. Corvin had given up. Her friends had forgotten her.

No, she thought fiercely. They wouldn’t forget me. They’re still fighting. I know they are.

She had to get back to them. She had to warn them about Finn. She had to confront him, to demand answers. And she had to see Soren again.

The thought of him gave her strength. She had to find a way out.

Soren found Selene in the garden, sitting on a stone bench with a book in her lap.

She looked up when he approached, her amber eyes brightening. "Soren. I wasn’t expecting you."

"I wanted to see you." He sat beside her, close enough to feel the warmth of her body. "We haven’t talked much since the festival. I’ve been... distant."

"You’ve been grieving." She reached for his hand. "That’s understandable."

"I know. But it’s not fair to you." He forced softness into his voice. "You’ve been patient with me. You’ve been supportive. And I’ve been pushing you away."

Selene’s expression softened. "You don’t have to apologize. I understand what you’re going through."

"Do you?" He looked at her, letting his gaze linger. "I wonder about that sometimes. About whether you really understand what I’m feeling. About whether you really know me at all."

"I know you better than anyone." She squeezed his hand. "We’ve been betrothed since childhood. We grew up together, even if we were apart. I know your strengths and your weaknesses. I know your hopes and your fears."

"Then tell me something." He shifted closer. "Tell me something about our past. Something I don’t remember. Something that only you would know."

Selene’s expression flickered—a tiny crack in her composure. "What do you mean?"

"I mean... my memories are still fragmented. There are so many things I can’t remember. And you’ve been helping me fill in the gaps. But I want to know more. I want to remember what we had before the showcase."

Selene was quiet for a moment. Then she smiled. "What do you want to know?"

"Anything. Everything. Tell me about the first time we met."

Selene’s smile widened, but there was something nervous in her eyes. "The first time we met... it was at a diplomatic dinner. You were fifteen. You barely looked at me the entire night."

"What else?"

"You were very serious. Very proper. You didn’t laugh at any of the jokes. Your father had to prompt you to speak to me."

"And after that?"

"We saw each other at events. Formal occasions. We were never close, but we were... aware of each other." She paused, her voice dropping. "I always knew you were special. Even then."

Soren studied her face. Her words were smooth, practiced. But there was something beneath them—something careful. She was choosing her words too precisely.

She’s lying, he thought. Or at least, she’s not telling the whole truth.

He forced a smile. "Thank you. That helps more than you know."

Selene relaxed visibly. "I’m glad. We should do this more often. Talk about the past. It might help your memories return."

"Yes." He stood, pulling her to her feet. "We should."

He kissed her forehead—a gesture that felt like ash on his lips—and walked away. Behind him, he felt Selene’s eyes on his back.

She’s scared, Kael observed. She knows you’re testing her.

Good. Let her be scared. Scared people make mistakes.

And when she makes a mistake?

I’ll be ready.

That night, Selene slipped away from the palace and made her way to the abandoned east wing.

Finn was waiting for her in the shadows.

"He’s suspicious," she said without preamble. "He’s asking questions. Testing me. I don’t know how much longer I can keep this up."

Finn’s expression was calm—too calm. "Then you need to be more careful. More convincing."

"I’m trying! But he’s not a fool. He knows something’s wrong. He just doesn’t know what."

"Then give him something else to focus on." Finn stepped closer. "Create a distraction. Feed him false information. Make him doubt his own instincts."

"And if that doesn’t work?"

"Then we’ll deal with him the same way we dealt with the others." Finn’s voice was cold. "The prince is not untouchable. If he becomes a threat, he can be removed."

Selene stared at him. "You’re talking about killing the crown prince."

"I’m talking about survival. Our survival." He smiled—a thin, cruel expression. "You’ve come too far to back down now, Selene. We both have."

Selene’s heart pounded. She had known Finn was dangerous. But she hadn’t fully understood how dangerous until now.

"What do you need me to do?" she asked quietly.

"Keep him close. Keep him distracted. And report everything he says." Finn’s eyes glittered in the darkness. "The secret investigation he’s planning—I need to know about it. Every detail."

"How do you know about that?"

"I know everything, Selene. That’s why I’m still here." He stepped back into the shadows. "Now go. Before someone notices you’re missing."

Selene turned and fled, her heart racing. She had made a deal with a monster. And she was only now beginning to realize the true cost.

Valeria was lying in her bed, staring at the ceiling, when the pieces finally clicked together.

She had been replaying Elias’s words in her mind—Finn is my brother. Different mothers, same father. It’s a secret.—and something about it had been nagging at her all evening. Something that didn’t quite fit.

And then, suddenly, it hit her.

Finn was Varek’s son. Finn had been Nyra’s roommate. Finn had been at the center of everything—the investigation, the resistance, the group’s plans. He had access to information that no one else had. He had been in the perfect position to sabotage them from within.

But that wasn’t the worst part.

The worst part was the pattern. Finn had always been there. At the academy. At the safe house. At the mill. He had fought beside them, cried with them, mourned with them. And all the while, he had been feeding information to the enemy.

No, Valeria thought, her heart pounding. It can’t be. Finn is too foolish. Too innocent. Too...

But the evidence was there. The pieces fit. And the more she thought about it, the more certain she became.

Finn Harlan was the traitor.

She sat up in bed, her mind racing. She should tell someone. Soren. Corvin. Ragnar. Anyone.

But if she was wrong... If she accused Finn without proof... The consequences would be devastating. Finn was beloved. Finn was trusted. And if he was really the traitor, he would know the moment she revealed her suspicions.

I need more proof, she thought. I need to be certain.

She lay back down, but sleep wouldn’t come. The weight of what she knew pressed down on her like a physical force.

And somewhere in the darkness, Finn Harlan was still scheming.

The search for Killian ended in a forgotten crypt beneath the palace city.

It was Corvin who found him, following a trail of whispered rumors and half-truths. The crypt was cold and damp, the air thick with the smell of decay. Killian was huddled in the corner, his clothes torn, his face gaunt with hunger and fear.

He looked up when Corvin entered, and his eyes went wide.

"Eldritch." His voice was barely a whisper. "I knew you’d find me eventually."

"It’s over, Killian." Corvin’s voice was cold. "Tell me who you’re working for, and I’ll make sure you’re protected."

Killian laughed—a hollow, broken sound. "Protected? No one can protect me. Not from him."

"From who?"

"He’ll kill me. Just like he killed Draven. Just like he’ll kill everyone who gets in his way." Killian’s eyes were wild. "You don’t understand. None of you understand."

"Then explain it to me."

Killian opened his mouth to speak.

And then he screamed.

Blood poured from his nose, his ears, his eyes. He collapsed to the ground, convulsing violently. Corvin rushed to his side, but there was nothing he could do. The poison had been in Killian’s system for hours—maybe days—waiting for the right moment to activate.

"Elias..." Killian gasped, his voice fading. "It was Elias... always Elias..."

His body went still.

Corvin knelt in the darkness, staring at the corpse of the man who had once loved him. The name echoed in his mind like a death knell.

Elias.

It couldn’t be. It couldn’t.

But even as he thought it, he knew it was true.

The traitor had a name. And it was someone that’s familiar and someone they have fought alongside with.