hidden royalty · time stop · revenge · betrayal · cold · calculating · fantasy · support mage · ruthless · dark romance
The guild's corridors are dim, but the sounds emanating from Alaric's room are vivid. Kaelen freezes, the rhythmic sounds of Elara's pleasure cutting through him like a serrated knife. Betrayal is a bitter pill, swallowed in silence. The next morning, the forest air is crisp, until Garrick's fist crashes into Kaelen's back, a crushing strike that sends him sprawling, limbs useless and numb. As he gasps for air, the party gathers around like vultures. Alaric's voice is dripping with contempt, calling him a pathetic waste of a slot. Elara doesn't even look at him, her body pressed flush against Alaric as she mocks the farce of their engagement. Selene steps forward, her expression one of serene piety as she declares that Kaelen must be eliminated to secure the couple's bliss. They look down…