Chapter 243: Chapter 243

I paced the room, my hands trembling.

"You’re useless, Uncle Fridolf!" I snapped. "All this planning, all this scheming, and where has it gotten us? Nowhere! If the Alphas find out..."

He shot me a glare, his jaw tight. "Don’t start with me, Belinda. You were the one who couldn’t keep her mouth shut."

I gasped, clutching my chest. "Me? Are you insane? You’re the one running your mouth, and couldn’t even get Lisa to do what you want!"

Before he could respond, the door creaked open. Adrik rushed in, his face pale. His voice was low but urgent.

"Rowan. I saw him. He was standing outside the door. He heard everything."

"What?" I whispered, shaking my head. "No... no, that can’t be true."

Adrik swallowed hard. "I swear it. His eyes were there, burning through the crack. He knows."

I spun toward Fridolf. "You see? You see what you’ve done? You’ve doomed us both!"

Fridolf’s face twisted with fury. "Me? Don’t you dare push this on me, Belinda! You were the one who let your tongue run wild."

"I wouldn’t have said anything if you hadn’t pushed me!" I yelled back, my voice breaking with fear. "Now what are we going to do?"

Adrik stepped closer. "There’s no time for this. You need to decide now. If Rowan hears, he’ll tell Kael, and then both of you are finished."

Fridolf clenched his fists. "Then we leave. Tonight. No waiting." He turned to Adrik. "Get ready. We flee at once."

I froze, staring at him. "Flee?" My throat tightened. "What about me?"

Fridolf scoffed, giving me a cold look. "What about you?"

"You’re not... you’re not going to leave me here, are you?" My voice shook.

He smirked bitterly. "You can stay, if you wish. Stay with your beloved Alphas. See how long you survive when they put the pieces together."

"No..." My chest heaved. Panic clawed at me. "No, you don’t understand. If I stay, I’m dead. Rowan will kill me. Kael will kill me. I...I can’t..." My voice cracked as tears filled my eyes. "Uncle Fridolf, please. Please don’t leave me behind."

He snorted, looking away. "Begging now, are we? Where’s all that sharp tongue, that fire?"

"Uncle Fridolf, I’m serious!" I dropped to my knees in front of him. "I don’t want to die. Please... save me. Take me with you."

He tilted his head, watching me with cold amusement. "Save you? You think I’m some hero? No, Belinda. I save myself. Always. If you want to live, you’d better learn to do the same."

I grabbed his hand desperately. "I’ll do whatever you say. I’ll follow you. Just... don’t leave me here."

Fridolf pulled his hand away with a scoff. "Then pack your things. If you want to live, move quickly. We leave before dawn."

Adrik gave me a pitying look. "You’d better hurry, Belinda. They’ll be coming soon."

I scrambled to my feet, my whole body shaking.

"Uncle, please... give me a moment. I need to gather my things."

He rolled his eyes. "You don’t have a moment. Grab what you can and move." Newest update provıded by 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹✦𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖✦𝓷𝓮𝓽

Adrik stepped toward the door. "I’ll make sure the path is clear. Hurry, both of you."

As he left, I turned to Fridolf, whispering fiercely.

"Do you even know what you’re doing? Running? Where are we going? Do you have a plan?"

He smirked, his eyes dark. "Of course, I have a plan. Did you think I’d sit around waiting for Rowan and Kael to cut my throat?"

I clenched my fists. "And what about me? You never told me anything! You just..."

"Enough," he cut me off sharply. "You want to live? Then shut your mouth and follow me."

I bit my lip, tears stinging my eyes. "You’re cruel. You don’t care about me at all."

He gave me a mocking smile. "Care? Belinda, in this world, caring gets you killed. Survival is all that matters."

I swallowed hard, my heart sinking. "Then why take me with you?"

"Because," he said simply, "you’re useful. For now."

His words pierced me, but I didn’t argue. I didn’t have the strength.

We left quickly, slipping through the dark halls like shadows. Every sound made my heart race. I clutched my shawl tighter around me, praying no one would see us.

"Faster," Fridolf whispered, pulling me along.

"I’m trying," I hissed back, nearly stumbling. "Do you want me to fall and get us caught?"

He shot me a glare. "Then keep your balance. Don’t slow me down."

Adrik returned, signaling with his hand. "The eastern gate is clear. For now. But we must go before the guards rotate."

"Good," Fridolf muttered. "Move."

I froze, my heart climbing into my throat. The figure stepped out of the dark, blocking the path as if the night itself had given her form. My breath hitched, and I heard my own voice break out in a panic before I could stop it.

"It’s a monster!" I screamed, my voice echoing too loud in the trees.

The moonlight fell across the figure like a thin veil, making her look both real and unreal at once. My hands shook. I wanted to move, to run, but my legs were locked in place.

"Who is that?" Uncle Fridolf whispered, his voice unsteady, nothing like his usual calm.

None of us answered. We all just stood there, staring. The air was so heavy, so tight, it was like the forest itself was holding its breath.

Then it spoke. A voice so sharp, so bitter, it sliced through me like a blade.

"You can’t go anywhere," she said. Her tone burned, steady and cold. "Not when you killed my child."

The sound of it nearly knocked the air from my chest. My eyes widened. "Oh my goodness, Lisa! Is that you?"

It was her. Her voice. Her rage. My blood ran cold.

Before I could think, before I could breathe, she moved.

She came at us with fury blazing in her eyes. Her hands cut through the air, and then the pain, pain like fire, slammed into me. I screamed as it tore through my side, my body spinning before I hit the ground hard. My vision blurred. For a moment, I thought I would faint.

Beside me, Adrik growled, trying to shield me, but even he was no match. Lisa’s strike hit him square across the chest, and I saw him stagger back, blood dripping from his lip. His eyes, always steady, always calm, were wide now with shock. He looked at her like he had never seen such power before.

Uncle Fridolf tried to stand his ground, but even he faltered when her rage fell on him. She struck at him with such force that he stumbled backward. For the first time in my life, I saw him look shaken. His face went pale, his eyes wide, his smirk gone.

Lisa’s face was twisted with rage, almost unrecognizable. Her breath came ragged, her body trembling, yet the power in her was terrifying. She looked like death itself had walked out of the dark to punish us.

I crawled back, clutching my side, gasping for air. "Please, Lisa..." I whispered, but my voice was so small, so useless.

Her hand lifted again, this time aimed at Uncle Fridolf. The air around us seemed to freeze. I thought she would kill him right there. Her eyes blazed, and her whole body shook with the force of her anger.

But then, she stopped.

Her hand froze mid-air, trembling. Her chest heaved as if every breath was choking her. Her eyes glistened, and suddenly, behind all the fury, I saw grief. A grief so deep it made even falter.

Her lips trembled. Her body shook. She stumbled back a step, like the weight of her own sorrow had crushed her chest.

And then, without a word, she turned.