Veryon&Tae

"Maybe it's better that he's gone." Lucius's cold words pierced through the heavy silence, each syllable laced with a detachment that made my blood boil.

"What?" I choked out, barely able to believe what I was hearing. My chest tightened, my grief momentarily replaced by rage.

Lucius met my gaze, his expression unyielding. "We need to focus on how that spirit got into the palace. That's the priority now."

"What are you saying?" I demanded, my voice trembling with emotion. "What do you mean we won't save Veryon? He's your brother, Lucius!"

"He's a disturbance," Lucius replied coldly. "He's always been a disturbance. I've been trying to rid this palace of him for days. And now, it's finally happened."

My hands clenched into fists. "You're lying," I said, my voice breaking. "You don't mean that."

"I do," Lucius shot back. "You should be glad he's gone. He's been nothing but trouble, especially to you."