Chapter 39 The Other Side Of The King

• I leave Alston’s cell, with him screaming and the rattle of his chains leaving me with a heavy heart, each step feeling like I'm walking through quicksand. The air feels colder, sharper, as if it knows the weight of what I've just done. I pause at the edge of the staircase, taking a deep breath to steady myself.
• This is for the best, I remind myself. Alston will be free, and so will I.
• I climb the staircase slowly, my mind swirling with conflicting emotions. Guilt claws at my insides, but beneath it all, a flicker of something else stirs. Sirius occupies my thoughts in a way that both terrifies and exhilarates me.