Lyra's head swam with confusion and doubt as Marcus's words echoed in her mind. The room felt too small, the walls too close, trapping her in a tangled web of lies and uncertainty. Kael's silence had only confirmed her deepest fears, and now Marcus was here, ready to exploit every weakness she had left.
Her heart pounded painfully in her chest as she took a step back, trying to create some distance between herself and the three figures before her—Kael, Ariadne, and Marcus. Each of them represented a different kind of danger, a different kind of betrayal, and she didn't know who to trust anymore.
Kael's eyes were locked on hers, his expression torn between desperation and guilt. "Lyra, listen to me—"
"No." Her voice was shaky, but there was a finality in it that stopped him in his tracks. "I don't want to hear it."
"Lyra, I—" Kael stepped forward, his hand reaching for her, but she recoiled, the look of betrayal clear in her eyes.
