Chapter 50. Bring Her Back

The square dissolved into chaos.

The moment the silver wolf vanished into the night, the air cracked with panic. Murmurs surged like a tide, swelling into frightened shouts. Mothers pulled their children close, shielding small eyes from the torn silk scattered across the stone. Warriors stiffened, hands twitching toward their weapons even though there was nothing left to fight. Elders pressed together like startled birds, their mutters sharp and poisonous, cutting through the night with the word everyone dreaded.

Monster. Abomination. Cursed child.

The crowd pressed back, recoiling from the altar where the celebration had turned into a nightmare. Garlands and lanterns still swayed in the breeze, mocking with their beauty, as if the valley itself refused to acknowledge what had just unfolded. The people’s awe had curdled into suspicion, their wonder into fear.

Then Eleanor rose.

She did not stumble. She did not flinch. Her posture was unyielding, her gaz