Third Person's POV

Aria had always believed that protecting Marcus was the purpose the Moon Goddess had given her.

She was five years older than her younger brother, and from the time they were pups, she had quietly taken responsibility for him. Even as children running through the forested lands of their pack territory, she had always walked a step behind him—watching, guarding, making sure nothing would harm him.

But when tragedy struck their family, Aria had been only sixteen, while Marcus was still an eleven-year-old boy who barely understood what death truly meant.

Their parents—both loyal warriors of the pack—had died during a brutal attack by rogues along the border of their territory. The battle had been sudden and merciless, and by the time the pack arrived to drive the rogues away, it was already too late.

From that moment on, the siblings were left alone beneath the watchful eyes of the pack.

Yet long before that tragedy, Aria’s future had already been quietly tied to another.

From the day she was born, the elders of two influential families within the pack had agreed that one day she and Caleb would be joined as mates.

Such arrangements were not uncommon among powerful pack bloodlines. They were meant to strengthen alliances, preserve stability within the territory, and ensure unity among the wolves who carried the pack’s future.

It had never been meant to force two wolves into a loveless bond—only to guide the paths their lives would take.

Fortunately, what had begun as a promise between families slowly blossomed into something genuine.

Aria and Caleb had grown up within the same territory, training under the same elders and learning the ancient traditions of their kind together.

From a young age, their wolves had always been comfortable around one another. Even before their mate bond awakened, there had been an unspoken pull between them—something deeper than simple friendship.

Their personalities were remarkably alike.

Both were stubborn.

Both fiercely loyal.

Both willing to protect the people they loved with tooth and claw if necessary.

Because of those similarities, affection had grown between them naturally over the years.

By the time they reached adulthood, what had once been nothing more than an agreement between two families had become something far more powerful.

It had become love.

When Caleb turned twenty-one, his father—who had served as one of the pack’s leading Alphas in the council—passed away after a long illness.

With his death, Caleb inherited both his father’s responsibilities and the heavy expectations that came with them.

Leadership was never an easy burden.

And yet Caleb carried it with determination.

Clara, his younger stepsister, was the daughter Caleb’s father had with his second mate later in life. Though Caleb had never truly felt comfortable around the woman his father had chosen as his second Luna, he cared deeply for Clara.

On his father’s final night, beneath the pale glow of the Moon Goddess, Caleb had made a promise.

He would always protect his younger sister.

No matter the cost.

Clara and her mother had always treated Aria kindly as well, and for many years their relationship appeared peaceful and harmonious within the pack.

Meanwhile, Marcus grew into a cheerful and hardworking young wolf.

Despite losing their parents so young, he never allowed bitterness to take root in his heart.

When he turned eighteen, he met Sophia during their final year of training at the pack’s warrior academy—a place where young wolves learned to control their transformations, hone their strength, and understand the ancient laws that governed their kind.

What began as a simple friendship soon deepened into genuine love.

Two years later, beneath the light of the full moon, Marcus asked Sophia to become his future Luna.

She accepted without hesitation.

Their engagement was celebrated warmly throughout the pack. The elders blessed their union, and many believed the two young wolves would bring prosperity and happiness to the territory in the years to come.

Everything seemed perfect.

But while Marcus was happily building his future, someone else had already begun watching him with growing resentment.

And that person’s jealousy would soon destroy everything.

Among werewolves, jealousy was often described as the most poisonous sickness that could infect a wolf’s heart.

Once it took root, it spread like wildfire—devouring reason, loyalty, and love until nothing remained.

And when that fire burned long enough, it destroyed everything in its path.

Even the one who carried it.

---

Weeks passed beneath the watchful gaze of the Moon Goddess.

Just as Caleb had declared during their final argument, a formal mate rejection decree was delivered to Aria at the packhouse. The parchment bore the Alpha seal of his family and the mark of the pack council, leaving no doubt that the process had already been set into motion.

Along with it came the official accusation against Marcus—an allegation that he had attempted to dishonor Clara.

Not long after, several pack warriors arrived at Aria’s home.

Under the authority of the elders and the Alpha council, Marcus was taken into custody to await judgment before the pack.

Neither Aria nor Marcus were surprised by the arrest.

They had known this moment would come.

The Wolfhart they had long feared—the formal trial where the truth of a wolf’s crime was judged beneath the law of the pack—had finally been called.

Even so, deep inside Aria’s heart, a fragile thread of hope still remained.

She believed her marriage could survive this storm.

In her mind, severing a mate bond was never meant to be the answer. A bond blessed beneath the sacred light of the Moon Goddess was not something to discard lightly. It was a sacred tie between two wolves—one that should never be broken without absolute certainty.

She believed she and Caleb should wait until the elders uncovered the truth before making a decision that could never be undone.

But Caleb refused to listen.

---

The mate rejection decree felt unusually heavy in Aria’s hands as she stood before the house that had once been her home.

The Alpha’s residence.

For a long moment, she simply stood there, staring at the familiar wooden doors carved with the ancient symbols of the pack. This place had once been filled with warmth, laughter, and the quiet comfort that only bonded mates could share.

Now it felt cold.

Distant.

Unfamiliar.

Slowly, she pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The air smelled the same—cedarwood, fire smoke, and the lingering scent of Caleb’s wolf—but the warmth that once lived in those walls had vanished.

Even though everything between them had already begun to crumble, Aria still wanted to speak with him one last time.

Ending a relationship was painful enough.

But ending a mate bond blessed beneath the Moon Goddess was far more serious. It was not something wolves treated lightly. A bond tied by fate and sealed by the Moon was sacred.

It should never be broken without a final conversation.

She opened her mouth to call his name.

But before the sound could leave her lips, something else reached her ears.

A faint groan.

Low.

Breathy.

It came from the bedroom.

Aria froze instantly.

Her wolf stirred uneasily inside her mind, lifting its head in alarm as she listened more carefully.

She recognized that voice.

It was Caleb.

But the soft moan that followed did not belong to her.

The realization struck her like lightning.

Blood roared in her ears as her heart seemed to stop beating entirely.

Moments later, the bedroom door swung open.

Caleb stepped into the hallway.

He was half dressed, his shirt hanging loose and his hair disheveled, completely unaware of her presence.

He walked forward casually—

Until his eyes suddenly landed on the pale feet standing before him.

His steps stopped.

Slowly, his gaze lifted.

Up her legs.

Up to her trembling hands.

Until it finally met her eyes.

Electric gray.

Aria’s expression was empty.

Hollow.

She looked as though her soul had already left her body.

Caleb’s face drained of all color.

Shock and guilt flashed across his features as the truth dawned on him.

She had seen everything.

Neither of them moved.

She stared at him in silent disappointment.

He stood frozen in horror.

Then footsteps sounded from the doorway behind them.

Lupas entered the house.

He was one of the pack scribes, a wolf tasked by the elders to witness important legal rites—especially those involving the breaking of sacred bonds.

When he noticed the tense silence in the room, his brows furrowed slightly.

Without saying a word, Aria calmly reached into her satchel and pulled out the parchment bearing the mate rejection decree.

Beside it was a small ceremonial blade used during rejection rites.

To Caleb’s complete disbelief, she signed the parchment immediately with steady hands, then pricked her finger with the blade. A drop of her blood stained the document, sealing her consent to the severing of their bond.

She handed the parchment to Lupas.

The scribe accepted it slowly, his expression filled with pity.

“My Luna…” he began gently. “You still have time to reconsider. A bond blessed by the Moon Goddess is not easily broken. Both of you may still speak before this becomes permanent.”

Aria let out a faint, humorless laugh.

“Every bond has its limits, Lupas,” she said quietly.

“Once those limits are crossed… there is nothing left to repair.”

She turned her gaze toward Caleb.

Tears shimmered in his eyes.

“Our bond crossed that limit today.”

Just then, a voice called from the bedroom.

“Caleb… where are—”

A young woman stepped out of the room, wrapped only in a blanket.

The moment she noticed Lupas standing there—and Aria beside him—her eyes widened in shock. Embarrassment flooded her face before she hurriedly retreated back inside the room.

The scribe grimaced slightly in disgust.

Aria, however, did not react at all.

Her expression remained eerily calm.

“Once the rejection rite is complete, send me a copy of the council record,” she said quietly.

Lupas nodded.

Without waiting for a reply, Aria walked past Caleb and toward the door.

He remained rooted to the spot.

His heart screamed at him to chase after her.

To beg for forgiveness.

To stop her from leaving.

But his feet refused to move.

Because deep down, he already knew the truth.

He was the one who had destroyed everything.

After a long moment, Caleb slowly reached for the parchment with trembling hands.

His chest tightened painfully as he pricked his own finger and let his blood fall onto the document beside hers.

The rejection rite was complete.

The mate bond between them shattered.

Far away from the house, as Aria walked beneath the fading evening sky, she felt the invisible thread connecting their souls finally snap.

Her wolf let out a long, mournful howl inside her mind.

But Aria did not stop walking.

Because in that moment, she realized something with absolute clarity.

From this day forward, her only goal was to fight for her brother’s justice.

She would do whatever it took to prove Marcus’s innocence—

Even if it meant standing against the entire pack alone.

Third Person's POV

Everything in Aria and Marcus’s lives was collapsing piece by piece—like a pack left leaderless beneath a darkened moon.

Nothing that had happened over the past months felt just or right. Misfortune followed them like a shadow, each new blow heavier than the last, until even breathing felt difficult.

Yet amid all the chaos, one thing within Aria only grew stronger.

Her faith in her brother.

The longer she watched Marcus suffer beneath the pack’s judgment, the more certain she became that he was innocent.

Marcus changed with each passing day.

The cheerful young wolf who once laughed easily and spoke excitedly about the future now seemed like a fading spirit. His shoulders were always hunched, his gaze distant, as if the light inside him was slowly being swallowed by darkness.

Whispers followed him everywhere within the territory.

When he passed other wolves, their mindlinks buzzed quietly with gossip and suspicion. Some did not even bother to hide their disdain. Their cold stares struck deeper than claws.

Depression wrapped itself around Marcus like iron chains.

If Aria and Sophia had not remained beside him during those first terrible weeks—speaking to him through their soft mindlinks and refusing to leave his side—Marcus might have done something reckless simply to escape the pain.

Their family’s fortune collapsed as well.

Pack trials were not only brutal—they were costly. Appeals to the council, petitions to the elders, and the endless legal disputes drained their resources quickly.

In the end, Aria was forced to sell the mansion that had belonged to their parents.

That home had once been filled with the scent of family—the warmth of shared meals, the echo of laughter during training days, and the comforting presence of the two people who had raised them.

Now it was gone.

Sold for coin that barely kept Marcus’s case alive before the pack council.

And Aria knew exactly who stood behind the Wolfhart tearing their lives apart.

Caleb.

Her former mate.

The Alpha was using every ounce of his authority to crush them.

It was not only rage over the accusations against his stepsister that drove him.

Part of it was bitterness.

Aria had rejected him.

She had chosen her brother over their sacred mate bond.

Caleb wanted her to return.

He wanted her to bow her head and beg for forgiveness.

But that day would never come.

Aria had endured far more pain than he believed she could bear. She knew that someday Caleb would regret what he was doing.

But when that day came…

His regret would mean nothing.

Meanwhile Marcus’s spirit continued to deteriorate.

The Pack Academy, once the place where he had trained for years, expelled him soon after the scandal spread across the territory. His dreams vanished overnight—even though no judgment had yet proven him guilty.

Whispers chased him everywhere.

Cold glances.

Cruel words sharp as silver blades.

Marcus was only twenty-one.

No matter how hard he tried to stay strong for Aria and for Sophia, the weight crushing down on him grew heavier each day. Slowly, painfully, he felt himself losing everything—including the wolf he once was.

After Aria managed to secure his temporary release from the council’s holding cells, Marcus tried to help rebuild their lives.

He searched for work across the territory.

But every door closed the moment wolves recognized his name.

Harsh words greeted him everywhere.

How could people condemn someone without knowing the truth?

Being accused of a crime you never committed was a torment that slowly tore a person apart from within.

Hatred burned in Marcus’s chest.

Even that word felt too small for what he felt toward Clara… and toward Caleb.

He understood Caleb believed he was protecting his sister.

But the lengths the Alpha had gone to were destroying far more than Marcus alone.

He was destroying Aria too.

---

“Marcus… pull yourself together,” Aria whispered softly.

She wrapped her arms around him, holding him tightly as if afraid he might shatter.

“I’m still here,” she murmured gently through their faint sibling mindlink. “I’m not leaving you.”

Marcus buried his face in her shoulder as tears fell freely.

In his hand he clutched the silver ring he had once given Sophia beneath the full moon.

Only hours earlier, Sophia had ended their engagement.

Five months of hearings before the pack council and endless rumors had worn down her faith.

In the end… she could not keep believing.

“I… I think she believes them now,” Marcus choked. “She thinks maybe I really tried to hurt Clara.”

His voice broke completely.

Aria immediately shook her head and cupped his face.

“No,” she said firmly. “Listen to me, my little prince. I trust you. I know you would never do something like that.”

Her gray eyes softened.

“So stay strong… at least for me. We will prove your innocence.”

Marcus slowly pulled away, despair clouding his gaze.

“Caleb won’t stop,” he said bitterly. “He’s determined to ruin us. Why don’t you just give him what he wants?”

Aria frowned.

“He asked you to return to him,” Marcus continued quietly. “If you accept him again as your Alpha… as your mate… maybe he’ll leave me alone. I could even kneel before Clara and beg forgiveness—”

“For what?” Aria cut in sharply. “Did you touch her?”

Marcus shook his head immediately.

“Then we fight,” Aria said firmly. “We keep fighting until the truth comes out.”

She held his face gently.

“I will stand beside you until my last breath.”

Marcus’s eyes filled with tears again.

“I just want you to be happy,” he whispered.

Aria smiled faintly and hugged him again.

“I’ll be happy the day the entire pack realizes they were wrong,” she said quietly. “The day they beg for your forgiveness.”

Marcus managed a small smile through his tears.

Just then—

Knock. Knock.

The sound echoed through the small apartment.

After selling their mansion, Aria and Marcus had moved into a modest home at the edge of the territory. It was simple, but at least it gave them a place where the whispers of the pack could not reach so easily.

“I’ll see who it is,” Aria said softly. “Dry those tears.”

Marcus nodded weakly.

Aria walked to the door and opened it.

The moment she saw who stood outside—

All color drained from her face.

The man she had once loved more than anyone else in the world stood before her.

Caleb.

The Alpha.

His golden eyes gleamed faintly, and the aura of command around him filled the air like invisible pressure.

He chuckled when he saw her pale expression.

“Not even going to invite your Alpha inside?” he asked lazily.

Aria’s expression hardened.

She tried to close the door.

But Caleb pushed it open easily, forcing it aside as if her resistance meant nothing.

She stumbled backward as he stepped inside.

Two pack warriors followed behind him.

“What are you doing here?” Aria snapped. “Leave my home.”

Caleb ignored her and walked into the living room.

Marcus immediately stood up.

Caleb’s gaze landed on the silver ring resting on the wooden table.

A mocking smile curled on his lips.

“Well, well,” he drawled. “Looks like your butterfly finally flew away. I heard Sophia broke the engagement.”

He tilted his head slightly.

“Funny thing is… she’s already promised to another. Daniel Stroke—the French merchant who’s been visiting the northern territories.”

Caleb shrugged.

“A friend of mine, actually. Apparently he’s had his eyes on her for quite some time.”

He smirked.

“They’ll likely be wed before the next winter moon.”

His gaze locked onto Marcus.

“So tell me… how does that feel?”

Pain flashed across Marcus’s face.

Aria grabbed Caleb’s arm and forced him to look at her.

“Yes, Sophia ended things,” she said coldly. “But honestly, it’s better that way. Hard times reveal who truly cares.”

Her eyes burned with defiance.

“We don’t need people who abandon us when life becomes difficult.”

Marcus gave her a grateful smile.

Caleb’s jaw tightened.

“You’re playing with fire, Aria,” he warned darkly. “I told you what would happen if you refused to return to me.”

“I’d rather face consequences than return to a man like you,” she replied. “Loving you once was the greatest mistake of my life.”

Anger flashed in Caleb’s eyes.

In an instant he grabbed her waist and pulled her against him.

Aria struggled immediately, but his Alpha strength overwhelmed her.

Marcus rushed forward—

But Caleb’s warriors restrained him.

Caleb leaned close to Aria.

“I want to hate you,” he murmured quietly. “But I can’t. I still love you.”

His voice softened.

“These months without you have been torture. Even our wolves cry for each other through the broken mindlink.”

“Let me go,” Aria hissed. “Your touch disgusts me.”

His eyes darkened.

“Disgusts you?” he repeated bitterly. “This is the same touch you once begged for beneath the full moon.”

“That was before,” Aria said coldly. “Not anymore.”

Marcus shouted furiously.

“Let her go, Caleb!”

But Caleb ignored him.

“Do you know how I felt when I saw my sister bruised and crying?” he said coldly. “You deserve to feel the same pain.”

Before Aria could react, he shoved her against the wall and crushed his lips onto hers.

Tears streamed down her face as she struggled.

Her fists pounded against his chest.

But he pinned her wrists above her head.

Across the room Marcus roared in rage, trying desperately to break free.

Even Caleb’s own warriors looked away uneasily.

“Punish me instead!” Marcus shouted hoarsely. “Leave her alone! You’ll regret this, Caleb!”

Caleb finally pulled away, breathing heavily.

The moment he released her—

Aria collapsed to the floor.

For a brief moment guilt flickered across his face.

But when he saw Marcus kneeling there in tears, his expression hardened again.

“Now you know how it feels,” Caleb sneered.

“That’s how I felt when I saw my sister.”

He stepped forward and punched Marcus hard.

Aria gasped in horror.

Then—

A sharp crack echoed through the room.

Silence followed.

For the first time since everything began…

Aria had slapped the Alpha.

Third Person's POV

Caleb’s head snapped sharply to the side the instant Aria’s palm struck his cheek.

The crack of the slap rang through the cramped apartment like a whip across stone. A red mark immediately bloomed on his skin.

Aria stood before him trembling.

Her gray wolf eyes glowed faintly, the color deepened by fury and grief. Tears streamed down her face, and her lips—still bruised from the force of his kiss—quivered as she fought to steady her breathing.

For several long seconds, she said nothing.

She had to swallow the Wolfhart raging inside her chest before she could speak. Her wolf clawed beneath her skin, demanding blood, demanding justice.

What Caleb had done went far beyond cruelty.

It was humiliation.

Not only for her—but for her brother as well.

Her gaze flickered toward Marcus.

He was slumped against the floor, shoulders bowed, his head hanging low as if the weight of the world had finally crushed him. The proud young wolf who once carried himself with quiet confidence now looked utterly broken.

Caleb’s relentless torment had achieved exactly what it was meant to do.

And Aria had finally reached her limit.

“Get out.”

The words came out as a low growl, vibrating with the power of her wolf.

Caleb slowly turned his head back toward her.

His golden eyes locked onto the disgust burning in hers.

For a fraction of a second, something in his expression faltered.

Seeing that much hatred directed toward him clearly hurt.

But Aria no longer cared.

“Leave, Caleb Lutherford,” she said coldly, her voice shaking with fury. “You’ve already done more than enough damage. Tomorrow I will petition the Pack Council for a restraining decree. What you did today crossed every sacred boundary the Moon Goddess placed between mates.”

She pointed toward the door.

“So get out of my home.”

Caleb’s jaw tightened as he stepped closer.

His Alpha aura rolled outward like an invisible storm, pressing heavily against the room.

“I’ll give you two days,” he said in a low, dangerous voice. “Two days to think carefully.”

His eyes darkened.

“I am prepared to withdraw the charges. Clara and my mother are willing to settle this quietly before the council.”

He paused before revealing the price.

“But your brother must take responsibility. He will marry my sister. That is the only way to restore her honor before the pack.”

Then his gaze softened slightly as it fell on Aria.

“And you,” he continued quietly, “will return to me. Come back to your Alpha… and to your mate.”

For a moment Aria simply stared at him.

Then she laughed.

It was hollow. Bitter.

“Not happening.”

Her voice carried no hesitation.

“Neither my brother nor I will accept your disgusting offer. Marcus would never bind himself to a manipulative viper like your sister.”

Caleb’s temper flared instantly.

But Aria raised her hand sharply before he could speak.

“Don’t bother,” she cut him off.

“And as for me?” she added with icy calm. “I would rather walk this earth mate-less for the rest of my life than return to a man like you.”

Her voice dropped into a deadly whisper.

“Now walk out of this apartment before I throw you out myself.”

She pointed toward the door again.

“Tomorrow the council will receive my petition.”

Caleb’s eyes darkened dangerously.

“You’ll regret this,” he said coldly. “Both you and your brother will regret challenging your Alpha.”

Aria didn’t flinch.

“Do your worst, Mr. Lutherford.”

The two of them stared at each other in silence for several long seconds.

Then Caleb clenched his teeth and turned sharply toward the door.

His warriors followed him immediately, leaving Marcus collapsed on the floor.

The moment Caleb disappeared down the hallway, Aria rushed to her brother’s side.

---

Outside the building, Caleb stood rigid beneath the pale evening moon.

Every instinct within him screamed for him to turn around—to run back upstairs, tear down the door, and drag Aria back into his arms.

His wolf howled furiously inside his mind.

The distance between them felt wrong.

Unnatural.

Life without her had become unbearable.

The Alpha mansion that once felt alive now stood silent and hollow. Aria had been the one who filled its halls with warmth. Her scent had lingered in every room.

Without it, the place felt like a tomb.

And now everything was gone.

The hatred he had seen in her eyes earlier made one thing painfully clear.

He had already lost her.

Deep down Caleb knew that no matter what he did, winning back her love might be impossible.

But that didn’t mean he was willing to let her go.

He was selfish enough to admit that.

If forcing her to return was the only option left…

Then so be it.

He would break her resistance first.

Then he would mend the damage afterward.

Caleb trusted his sister completely.

To him, Clara was the victim.

And he would stop at nothing to punish the man who had hurt her.

Even if that meant turning the lives of those siblings into a living nightmare.

Anyone who made his sister cry deserved to suffer.

---

Back inside the apartment, Aria stayed beside Marcus for hours until his breathing finally steadied.

The next morning she sent a formal petition to the Pack Council, requesting a restraining decree against Caleb.

When the notice reached him later that day, fury burned through him like wildfire.

No one had the right to keep him away from the woman he loved.

But despite his rage, Caleb chose not to react immediately.

Instead, he waited.

He wanted Aria to break that decree herself.

To return to him willingly.

Weeks passed slowly.

Marcus’s mental state continued to deteriorate.

Nightmares haunted him almost every night. Sometimes he woke screaming, drenched in sweat. During the day he often sat silently for hours, staring into nothingness as if the world around him had faded away.

Aria brought a healer—an elder wolf skilled in mending wounded minds.

Marcus refused to speak to him.

Still, Aria refused to give up.

She fought tirelessly—for Marcus’s recovery and for justice.

But the situation only worsened.

During one of the council hearings, it became painfully clear that Marcus’s chances of winning the case were nearly nonexistent.

They had no evidence strong enough to disprove Clara’s accusations.

Aria’s hatred toward Caleb deepened even further when she discovered what he had done next.

He had bribed their advocate before the council.

A heavy pouch of gold had been enough to make the man abandon Marcus’s defense entirely.

Caleb’s influence and Alpha power were being used in the dirtiest possible ways.

He was determined to crush them.

But Aria refused to surrender.

She would fight until her last breath.

---

“Marcus?” she called softly one evening. “Where are you? Dinner is ready.”

Silence filled the apartment.

Her brows knit together.

Normally Marcus would at least answer.

“Marcus?” she called again as she walked toward his room.

Still nothing.

A strange unease crept into her chest.

She pushed the door open.

And the air vanished from her lungs.

Marcus lay on the floor.

Dark blood pooled beneath him, spreading across the wooden boards from deep wounds carved into both of his wrists.

“Marcus!”

Her scream shattered the silence.

She dropped to her knees beside him, tears flooding down her face.

“My brother… what have you done?” she sobbed, pressing trembling hands against his arms, desperately trying to stop the bleeding. “Stay with me… please stay with me.”

Her cries echoed down the hallway.

A neighbor rushed in after hearing the commotion.

Together they carried Marcus outside and hurried toward the nearest healers’ hall.

The healers rushed him immediately into the inner chamber.

Aria collapsed onto a bench outside, uncontrollable sobs shaking her body.

Her white blouse was soaked with Marcus’s blood.

Her trembling hands were stained crimson.

“You cannot leave me,” she whispered again and again. “Please don’t leave me…”

Hours crawled by.

She paced outside the chamber doors, whispering desperate prayers to the Moon Goddess.

Finally, after nearly two hours, a healer stepped out.

Aria rushed toward him immediately.

His expression was grim.

“Your brother remains in critical condition,” he said quietly. “We stopped the bleeding… but his spirit is fading. It is as though he has lost the will to live.”

Aria felt her knees weaken.

“The next twenty-four hours will be crucial,” the healer continued gently. “All you can do now… is pray.”

He walked away.

Aria remained standing there in silence.

That night she did not sleep.

She sat alone in the corridor, staring at the door of Marcus’s chamber while quiet tears slipped down her cheeks.

No one came to comfort her.

She faced everything alone.

The hours passed slowly.

And then, twenty-four hours later, the news she feared finally arrived.

The healer approached her quietly.

“I am very sorry, Miss Sinclair,” he said gently.

“Your brother has fallen into a coma.”