✦ Chapter 42 ✦
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The journey to Silvermoon Palace felt longer than it truly was, not because of distance, but because of the silence that weighed heavily inside the carriage. It was the kind of silence that pressed against the chest, thick and unmoving, leaving no room for breath or words. Lucien sat across from the narrow window, his posture rigid, his gaze fixed on the passing blur of stone roads and iron gates as though the world outside might offer answers it had so far denied him.
Adrian remained seated opposite him, hands folded neatly in his lap, every instinct screaming for him to speak and yet warning him not to. As the only guard permitted inside the carriage, he had learned when to stand firm and when to disappear into the background. This moment demanded the latter. Lucien's presence was sharp today—contained, but volatile, like glass stretched too thin.
