The silence after the disaster was heavier than any scream. The hall still smelled of ash and iron, and the cracks in the marble floor made it clear—my loss of control had left a mark that could not be hidden. The nobles stood frozen, trembling, as if expecting it to happen again at any moment.
My mother, Lirae Veyra, rose from the dais. Her commanding figure could not disguise the faint tremor in her hands.—This… changes everything, —she said, her voice tight.
One of the councilors immediately spoke up.—We all saw it! The hybrid is no longer in control of herself! She must be confined before she destroys more than this hall!
Another noble joined in, his finger pointed directly at me.—If the thing inside her truly is a Khorvash, then Nyx is a ticking bomb! We cannot allow her to remain free!
A storm of voices erupted across the chamber—some demanding my imprisonment, others calling for my execution before it was too late.
I sank lower in my seat, feeling the shadow inside me stir with a dark, satisfied smile.
Selene was the first to stand. She slammed her hands on the table, her voice rising above the noise.—Enough! —she shouted, with more force than anyone expected from her. —Can't you see what you're doing? You're treating Nyx like a monster, when she's been fighting that voice every single moment!
A heavy silence followed her words.
Then Kaelis broke it, her voice sharp as the edge of her blade.—Are you really going to keep defending the indefensible, Selene? —she asked, eyes burning. —We all saw it. That creature spoke through her. The darkness is consuming her, and we can't just sit here and wait until it's too late.
Selene turned on her, furious.—What I saw was Nyx fighting back, resisting! If there wasn't strength left in her, she'd already be gone!
Kaelis stepped forward, jaw tight.—And when that strength finally fails? What then? How many lives will it take? Yours? Mine? Everyone's?
The air between them crackled with tension, more dangerous than any magic. I looked at them both, my heart tearing in two. One defended my humanity; the other feared my destruction. And the worst part was—they were both right.
My mother raised a hand, her tone cutting through the chaos.—No decision will be made in this madness, —she declared. —I will summon the reduced council at dawn. There, the fate of Nyx Veyra Nocthra will be decided.
Her words fell over me like chains. My fate. It was no longer in my hands, but in theirs.
When the hall finally emptied, only the three of us remained. Selene pulled me into a tight embrace, whispering against my ear:—I won't let them cage you.
Kaelis stood at a distance, her eyes dark and cold as blades.—I won't let you destroy everything I love.
And I… could only wonder which of them was right.