"No, no!"
The door slammed shut behind Aleriana, the sheer force of her internal energy warping the metal knobs and handles, twisting them beyond repair.
The gust from the window died instantly as she sealed herself inside, locking out the world.
No one would break in—not without inhuman strength.
Her hand clutched her chest, fingers trembling against the fabric as an inexplicable pain surged through her, like a wound deep in her soul.
She had known this moment would come, had expected it, even planned for it.
And yet, the reality of standing against her mother's will—of preparing to kill the man she had vowed to spend her life with—was breaking her apart in ways she hadn't foreseen.
She had wanted this.
Had wished to be tied to a dead husband, free from the chains of a real marriage.
But now… now, she wasn't sure.
Somehow, without her realizing it, something had changed.
