Chapter 54: A Meeting With The Council

Rose's knees hit the ground as she knelt beside Celion, her fingers brushing Tharion's bloodstained feathers.

The warmth that once radiated from him was gone, replaced by a chilling stillness that sent a fresh wave of tears spilling down her cheeks.

Her vision blurred as she looked up at Celion, his face contorted with anguish. His hands gripped Tharion's shoulders, shaking him gently as if that would somehow wake him. "Come on, brother," Celion choked out between sobs. "You can't leave me. You can't leave us."

Rose couldn't tear her eyes away from Tharion's serene expression, the faint trace of a smile on his lips as if he'd accepted his fate.

Her heart shattered into pieces, and she clutched her chest, trying to contain the overwhelming pain that threatened to consume her.

"Why?" she whispered, her voice breaking. "Why would anyone do this?"