The grand hall was filled with tension. Every guard, maid, and butler stood in line, heads bowed, faces pale. The heavy wooden doors slammed shut behind the Duke as he strode to the center of the room, his boots echoing off the marble floors. His expression was dark, eyes sharp with fury.
"How could this happen?" the Duke's voice boomed, sending a shiver through everyone present. "Ellory, Cyruz, and Axelius—all injured! Where were you?" He glared at the guards, their heads bowed even lower.
"I trusted you to protect them, and you failed."
No one dared to answer. The silence stretched painfully long until the Duke's eyes narrowed. "Elias!"
From the line, Elias stepped forward, kneeling down on one knee. His left arm was bandaged, and a thin line of blood stained his cheek. "I am here, My Lord," he said, voice steady but strained.
The Duke took a step closer, his eyes blazing with anger. "You were supposed to be with Axelius. Where were you?"
