A Friend's Shocking Allegiance

VANESSA

The treaty signing had left me hollow, my nerves still buzzing with unresolved tension. I couldn't shake the feeling that we were just playing at peace while darker forces gathered strength. The corridors of the rebuilt summit building felt oppressive, too quiet after the chaos of recent days.

I needed air. Space to think.

Seventeen dead. So much blood spilled for what? A piece of paper that might not even hold?

I turned down a less crowded hallway, seeking a moment alone, when movement caught my eye. A flash of familiar golden-brown hair disappearing around a corner.

My heart stuttered. That silhouette—I'd know it anywhere.

"Olivia?" I called out, my voice echoing against the marble walls.

The figure froze, then slowly turned.

It was her. Olivia. The rogue girl who'd saved my life years ago when I was still called Ruby, lost and confused in the forest. The girl I'd believed was long gone, possibly dead after disappearing without a trace.