[Lavinia's POV—Imperial Palace—Moments After]
The word "missing" did not echo.
It sank.
Like a stone dropped straight into my chest—heavy, sudden, dragging everything else down with it.
I did not move. I did not sit. I did not ask him to repeat himself.
"Missing," I said again—not a question. A confirmation.
Zerith nodded, his jaw tight. "Yes, Your Highness. Captain Haldor did not report to morning formation. He sent a letter requesting leave." His voice hesitated for half a breath. "But his quarters show no signs of departure. His armor, sword, and cloak are still there."
Still there.
My fingers curled slowly into my palm. A leave request meant nothing when the man who wrote it vanished with everything he considered expendable—and left behind the only things he would never abandon unless forced.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
I clenched my fist, an unfamiliar sensation spreading through my chest—tight, unsteady, almost painful.
Why does my heart feel like this?
