"What the hell was going on...?"
Adrian's mind raced with questions, each one more tumultuous than the last.
Had he truly lost Elena just like that?
Why?
How?
Had he become too complacent, too arrogant in his abilities?
Did he allow this catastrophe to unfold before his very eyes? And what of Elena?
Should he not be racing to her rescue?
The weight of his failure bore down upon him, a suffocating burden that threatened to consume him whole.
Anger, fear, dread, and sorrow swirled within him, a tempest of negative emotions that threatened to overwhelm his senses.
The suddenness of the situation was surreal, yet Adrian understood it all too well. He had failed, utterly and completely, and now he was paying the price.
The plan had been simple: manipulate the forces of the demon princess, use the people to their advantage, and leverage the power of the goddess to secure victory.
