Chapter 26: Sacrificed One Daughter
(Lucas's POV)
I stood there, rooted to the spot, staring into the dark hallway long after Celeste had disappeared with that insufferable guard of hers.
Her words gnawed at me. Three moons. Three moons, and she would be gone.
The stench of guilt clung to the air, curling around my senses, suffocating. I clenched my fists, struggling to push down the bloom of frustration that grew in my chest.
Her words replayed themselves endlessly in my mind. The way she had declared her departure, as though she had no reason left to stay. As though she wanted nothing more than to sever ties with all of us.
I wanted to roar. To howl. To shatter this oppressive silence.
But I couldn’t—not here. Not now.
A quiet whimper broke me from my spiraling thoughts. I turned
