The Weight of Truth

The air in the dining hall felt impossibly dense, each second stretching longer than the last. Kaelen’s muscles remained coiled, his fists clenched, as if the slightest wrong move could ignite the storm he carried inside.

Then a soft voice cut through the thick tension.

“You won’t.”

Kaelen’s head snapped up.

Lyra stood in the doorway, Kira beside her. Her eyes were still a little red, cheeks f