Elysiel sat isolated in her quarters, shadows moving slowly around the stone walls, dancing with the beams of light escaping through the small window. The night was cold, but the chill didn't come from the air—it came from within her. The betrayal of the council, now revealed, weighed heavily on her heart like an anchor. Her own advisors, those who had sworn to protect Elandor alongside her, were planning to destroy her—along with Seraphis.
Sitting on the floor, Elysiel hugged her knees, her mind swirling with doubts and uncertainties. The darkness and light within her raged like a storm, a conflict showing no signs of peace. She felt the shadows creeping closer each day, while the light that had always guided her now seemed fragile, like a flickering flame. Despite all her efforts to fight it, something deep within told her that the balance she sought couldn't be achieved alone.
She was divided.
