He looked up at me with tears gathering in his eyes. "Because, Storm, she said

she would kill my parents if I told anyone. I–I didn't know what else to do. I was so desperate and so alone. She promised me that if I went through with the plan, you guys would be safe, and my parents would be safe too all she wanted was the map" His voice dropped to a whisper as he recalled the horror of that promise. "But then... then I realized something. I made a replica of the map using a spell I learned from Eira. I kept the original, while I gave them the fake one. I thought that once I got my parents back, the fake map would vanish because the spell lasted only for an hour. But the Shadow Weaver was too clever-she saw through my trick. And the worst part is, my parents were never alive. It was all a trick, a lie. In the end, she tried to trick me too, if I had given her tge real map..... I'm so sorry. I did it because I was desperate, because I clung to the hope that my parents were still alive. But now, I can't believe they're really gone... I can't-I'm so sorry."

The room was silent, my heart ached for him-not just for the loss of his parents, but for the unbearable weight of his guilt. I slowly got up from where I had been sitting and knelt beside him. I reached out, wrapping my arms around his bruised shoulders, and hugged him tightly. "It's okay," I whispered. "I know it's been hard. I know you were hurting, and I understand your pain. I'm not angry with you-I'm just so sad that we all had to go through this."

As I held him, Isaiah stepped forward and gave him a firm, supportive hug. "I always knew you had a reason," he said softly. "Even if we didn't understand it, I knew there was something driving you."

Alex and Austin, who had been sitting quietly nearby, also spoke up in unison. "We're sorry, Elijah,” Alex said, his voice earnest. "We doubted you, and we didn't know how much you were hurting. We should have been more supportive, especially after everything you've lost."

Austin added, "I never wanted you to feel alone in all this. We're a pack, and we need to stick together, no matter what."

shared commitment to heal the deep wounds that had torn us apart. I could see that even though words had been spoken, the silence that followed

hand as I tried to process everything he had said. I remembered the day of the attack, the screams, and the shock of losing so much in a single moment. Mariah's death still hurt deeply; it was a pain that I had tried to push to the back of my mind, but it always surfaced when things got too quiet. Now, as Elijah spoke of his desperate bargain with the Shadow Weaver, I could feel the raw, unhealed grief in him

Elijah's confession had opened old wounds, but it had also given us a chance to

"We have all suffered so much. I know the pain of losing someone dear-it never really goes away. But we are still here. Elijah, I forgive you, I know you were lost, and I know you did what you

looked up at me. "Thank you, Stormi," he said, his voice barely audible.

had to do. We're all hurting, and we all made mistakes. But we're

in, "we'll figure out

silent support. Alex leaned forward, placing a hand on Einsh's shoulder. "We were wrong to doubt you. We should have see how much you were hurting. I promise, from

firm tone, added, "We're a family, and that means weick together. I know I haven't

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