Nathan remained still long after the man vanished into the mist. His fingers twitched at his side, his body buzzing—not with fear, but something colder. Deeper.
You sold flesh for coin… to win her hand.
The words echoed, crawling into every corner of his mind like a rot finally surfacing.
It wasn't just a threat—it was the truth. A truth Sebastian had buried, but whose bones were starting to claw their way back up from the soil.
Nathan stared down the alleyway where the man had gone, jaw clenched, breath slowing.
So… it wasn't just her uncle who betrayed him. Not just Sebastian. Not just those five baboons who grinned and drank wine while they signed his death in ink and blood.
There were more.
Much more.
He recalled that night, the memory crashing back through him like a broken door. The smell of burning wood. The weight of chains. The soft grunt of a man striking a final blow as Nathan's body bled out into the cold stone as they all watched him die.
