I slowly regained consciousness, my head throbbing with pain. As I opened my eyes, I saw that Stella was crying, her tears falling freely down her cheeks. I couldn't make sense of what was happening, and I struggled to sit up.
Kael was standing nearby, his face stern, as he addressed one of his subordinates. "Take care of her," he said. "Make sure she learns her lesson."
I looked at Stella in confusion, wondering what she had done to deserve punishment. She caught my gaze and immediately looked away, ashamed.
I mustered up the energy to speak. "What's going on?" I asked, my voice weak and trembling.
Stella looked back at me, her eyes red from crying. "I'm sorry," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I was just jealous of you."
Her confession caught me off guard. Jealous? Of me
