The Omega Mated To The Four

The castle nains loomed ahead, inged stone walls covered in moss and broken windows staring out like hollow eyes. I burely registered the eerie beauty as she trudged through the overgrown path, my heart heavy with the weight of Elijah's betrayal. The

the sky above, others followed behind mein tense silence, their expressions as dark

The place was haunted-by memories, by ghosts, by the terrible massacre that wiped out my bloodline. I barely glanced at the scorched stones where my family's banners once hung, Ina consumed by the chaos in own mind. My hands wouldn't stop shaking. and my heart felt like it was being ripped apart piece by plece,

My heart pounded against my ribs like it was frying to break free, nid I couldn't get the image of Elijah handing over the map out of my head.

My feet moved without direction, dragging me through the overgrown path toward the shuttered archway. The others followed behind me in silence, their presence like shadows looming just out of reach. Everything felt muted, distant, as if I was watching myself from somewhere far away. My hands wouldn't stop shaking, and my vision blurred as I tried to process what had just happened.

"How could he do that?" Austin growled behind me, breaking the silence. His anger crackled through the air, and I heard the distinct sound of ice forming at his fingertips, "Damn it! I knew something was off about Elijah a few days ago! I should've noticed

it sooner.

Isaiah shot him a glare, his voice tease but controlled. "Don't jump to conclusions. We don't know why he did it yet. There has to be an explanation— Elijah wouldn't betray us

us like

that,"

A harsh, humorless laugh tore from my throat, and I spun around to face Isaiah, cage burning through the numbness. "Are you serious right now? What explanation could possibly justify what he did? Did you not see it with your own eyes? He gave her the map, Isaiah! Just... handed it over like it was nothing!"

away, jaw clenched, his shoulders tense. "I know what it looked like, but Elijah wouldn't do that without a reason. He's our

no other way to see it. Mother didn't even force him-ho just walked up and gave her the map. I don't care what kind of reason you think he

is betrayal."

at his sides. "He wouldn't do that! You

tension boiling over. "Isaiah! Stop defending him!" My voice broke, and I hated how weak I sounded. "He looked me in the eye and handed over the one thing we couldn't afford to lose. le gave it to her, knowing it would destroy us. How

make excuses for

no words came out. Instead, he just stared at the ground, guilt shadowing his

through my hair and tugging until my scalp burned. My chest felt fight, like I couldn't breathe, and every inhale was a struggle. I tried to make sense of it, but my mind kept replaying the nioment-the way Elijah's hand didn't hesitate, the way he

failed to protect everyone. I didn't see it coming, didn't even

It hurt. It hurt so much that I couldn't even think straight. My knees gave out,

breath, taking a hesitant step

1/2

Chapter 168

couldn't handle being touched tight now. If anyone come closet, I would break into a million ploces, and there would

than before, "Stormi, I know it feels like everything's

heart that nothing could I wanted to believe him, but it didn't make the pain go away, Elijah'shetrayal carved a hollow fill. I couldn't shake the image of his back tumed to me as he walked toward Mother-like he belonged with

what. He was supposed to protect us... to protect

out slowly to place his hand on my shoulder his time, I didn't pull away. "I don't know," he admitted, his voice cracking. "But I refuse to

again, fierce and unforgiving. I showed his lund off, taring through the tears. "And what if there's no reason, Isaiah? What if he just... betrayed us because it was easier than fighting? You keep making excuses for him, but you didn't see his face. He didn't

splintering through the cracks, "Damn