CHAPTER 316: CHAPTER 316 WELCOME HOME

Damon’s brow furrowed at my allegation, his eyes darkened dangerously the next second. "What are you talking about?" He growled.

"This is not the time to be growling Damon, what the fuck did you do to my mother?!" My voice came out in full fury.

His eyes widened, as if my words had struck something deep. "I did not lay a hand on your mother," Damon’s tone was sharp, layered with disbelief. "Who told you such a thing?"

"Rhydian." I spat his name like venom. "He said you stormed into the palace and fought with my mother. That you nearly killed her." My hands were trembling, but I refused to let them see how much his denial affected me. "Why else would she be dying, Damon?"

Damon’s jaw clenched, his nostrils flaring slightly. "Rhydian is lying." His words came out low, almost like a growl. "I would never harm her, Ember. I would never."

"Then where were you?" I pressed, stepping closer to him. "When I went to the northern wall of the castle, you were nowhere to be found. Tell me where you were, Damon."

He inhaled sharply. "So you would believe his word over mine. I thought we had gone far along the way to have trust issues." His words broke off midway, his eyes flickering with something I couldn’t quite read.

"Damon, just answer the damn question. Where were you on that day?" I gritted my teeth. My eyes locked with his swirling with hurt.

"And who said I wasn’t there with you on that day? I was whi..."

"You were what?" I demanded, my voice rising.

Before he could respond, a heavy pounding came at the door.

"Alpha!" A guard’s urgent voice pierced through the tension. "You are needed immediately. The witches... they are under attack!"

Damon’s entire posture stiffened. His eyes burned with a mixture of fury and focus. "They are already under siege?" he muttered under his breath before glancing back at me.

"Stay here," he ordered, his tone authoritative.

"No." I took a step forward. "We are not done talking about this."

He looked at me for a long moment, as if memorizing my face. Then his expression softened, just a little. "We will continue when I come back," he said quietly, turning away.

The door closed behind him with a soft click, and the moment it did, my knees nearly gave out. Tears trickled down my cheeks before I could stop them. The sound of his retreating footsteps faded, and my chest felt painfully hollow.

"Goodbye, Damon," I whispered, my voice barely audible.

I stood there for a few more seconds, before wiping the tears off my face. My gaze hardened, there was no time to wallow in emotions when too many questions were left unanswered.

When I stepped out of the castle, Rhydian was already waiting for me at the foot of the stairs, his expression unreadable. I brought Crystal along, she stood behind me, clutching a bag, her eyes downcast.

"I’m ready," I said quietly. "Let’s go back."

Rhydian nodded slightly, his blue eyes flickering with something like satisfaction. "You made the right choice."

Crystal hesitated, glancing between us nervously. I could see the uncertainty on her face, the unease in her small movements.

"Come on, Crystal," I said softly, forcing a small smile. "You are coming with us."

Her eyes widened, and she nodded quickly. "Yes, Miss Aeris."

As we walked, an uncomfortable silence stretched between us. My mind was running wild, replaying everything I had learned. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong. Rhydian’s story didn’t sit right, every word he said felt too carefully placed and practiced.

And even if I wasn’t sure my mother was truly my mother, she had still been there for me when no one else was. She had cared for me, saved me more than once. Whether she was bound by lies or blood, I owed her something.

But deep down, a shadow of dread began to crawl inside me. The fae realm had always felt wrong, like a beautifully crafted lie. A world wrapped in illusions, smiles that hid secrets, and love that came with chains. My so-called life there was a performance, one I didn’t even know I was acting in until it was too late.

The closer we got to the outer gate, the heavier my chest became. The night air was cold, the moon hung high, watching silently as if waiting for a tragedy to unfold.

Rhydian stopped when we reached an open field, where the faint shimmer of magic danced in the air. He raised his hand, murmuring a spell under his breath. A blue light rippled outward, and a portal formed before us, swirling like liquid glass.

"Everything is ready," he said quietly, glancing back at me.

I stared at the portal, my gut twisting painfully. Something about it felt wrong. I looked at him, my voice calm but firm. "There’s something I want to confirm before we leave."

He blinked. "What do you mean?"

"I want to see Damon before I go. I’ll leave with you tomorrow morning."

His eyes narrowed slightly, his jaw tightening. "Aeris, this isn’t the time..."

"I wasn’t asking for your permission," I cut him off. My tone left no room for argument. "If you truly want me to go with you, then wait until morning."

I turned to leave, ready to chase after Damon, when something cold and firm gripped my wrist.

"Rhydian?"

Before I could react, he pulled me sharply backward. My eyes widened as the ground vanished beneath me. The last thing I heard was Crystal’s panicked voice shouting my name.

"Aeris!"

The world spun violently. The air around me twisted into a howling vortex of blue and white light. My body felt weightless, then unbearably heavy. I tried to reach for something... anything... but there was nothing to hold onto.

And then, with a sudden, bone-jarring stop, everything went still.

The air was different. It was heavy and cold.

When I opened my eyes, I was standing on marble flooring, surrounded by fae guards. Their armor glinted like moonlight, and their eyes were as emotionless as stone.

My heart sank when my gaze lifted and met the figure standing ahead of me.

King Zeir.

His presence was commanding, his silver robes flowing around him elegantly. His expression was unreadable, but the coldness in his eyes sent a shiver down my spine.

"Welcome home, Princess Aeris," he said, his voice calm but laced with venom.