[Lilia]

My lungs hurt as I inhale deeply. My heart caught in my throat as I dragged my feet closer to the table. My knees were trembling, and they could barely hold my weight as I walked. Kael just steeled his stare on my face, waiting for what I would do next, as if I had the luxury of escaping.

I felt like bursting into tears, but my eyes had run dry like a desert. The loud drum rolls erupted in the background, its bass thundering on my chest, and I felt my ears were going to bleed.

The ...