Eliza’s POV
The weight of their words pressed down on me, a heavy shroud of confusion and betrayal. “So Yelda really was just using me?” I managed to choke out, my voice barely above a whisper.
Suddenly, a cold chill swept through the room, making the candles flicker as if a draft had burst in from an unseen passage. My heart raced, recalling how Yelda fed off my power. Who knew how long that had been going on? I clenched my fists, but not out of anger; it was profound fear — fear of my own abilities and who might exploit them again.
“She was manipulating you, Princess Eliza,” Rylan said, his voice steady amidst the chaos of emotions swirling within me. “Crafting a façade that made you vulnerable. We recognized it just in time.”
“What did you do?” I confronted them, rising from my sea
