Chapter 97 — Failed?

• Alicia's heart pounded as they stood in the dimly lit room, the gravity of what they were about to do weighing on her. She glanced at the others—Bryan, Mira, and finally, Lucian. Each of them bore a look of grim determination, but she could sense the tension beneath the surface. It wasn’t just fear of Elera’s wrath, but the uncertainty of whether the truth they held would be enough to bring her down.
• She tightened her grip on the mirror—the key to their plan. Its reflective surface seemed to shimmer with the weight of their hopes, but also their doubts. If this failed… Alicia forced the thought away. They couldn’t afford to fail. Too many lives were at stake.
• Bryan was speaking again, going over the final details of the plan, but Alicia found herself distracted. She stole a glance at Lucian, standing with his arms crossed, his face set in a cold mask. There had been no words exchanged between them since their encounter earlier, no acknowledgment of the history that hung between them like a shadow. But Alicia could feel his presence like a tangible weight in the room, could sense the conflict raging within him.