Chapter 51: Shadows Deepen
The echo of the scream reverberated through the mansion, freezing Alexander in his tracks. His first instinct was to bolt toward Elara's room, but something told him she was still asleep—this scream was coming from someone else. His heart pounded in his chest as he ran toward the source, adrenaline coursing through his veins.
The sight that met him when he arrived in the east wing stopped him cold.
A servant—her face pale as death—stood trembling, pointing at the carnage that lay at her feet. The guards who had been stationed there, his most trusted men, lay sprawled on the floor, lifeless, their bodies twisted in unnatural angles. Blood pooled beneath them, staining the polished floors.
