Chapter 79. The Truth

Nathan's POV

The night air chokes with tension, the moon a glaring witness overhead. I stand before the restless crowd, my knees treacherous in their shaking. I'm a marionette with cut strings, a king who has lost his crown in the eyes of his people.

"Listen, all!" My voice tears through the silence, rough as gravel. It's a command, but it sounds more like the plea of a man teetering on the edge of ruin.

I step forward and nearly trip over my own feet, a clumsy dance of desperation that would be comical if not for the grave circumstances. The murmurs ripple through the gathered Luparians, their scornful gazes branding me with each faltering step.

"I have...I must confess..." My tongue feels too thick for my mouth, every syllable a battle. But I push onward, compelled by an unseen force, a need to unburden my soul of its poisonous secrets.

"Confess what, Nathan? That you're a fool?" A voice cuts sharp fro