Chapter 14 - 13: Into the Pit
The pressure in the dining hall grew heavier.
The air didn't change. The room didn't shake. But every person seated at that long table could feel it—Alaric wasn't going to agree.
He stood at the far end, both hands pressed to the table, fingers curled slightly. The glass of untouched wine sat beside him, casting a faint red reflection on the polished surface.
At the other end, Malrik waited. Calm. Expectant.
The rift still hovered behind him. A slit in space. A thing that wasn't a thing, staring through.
It watched Alaric like it was trying to remember him.
Or maybe choose him.
---
"You want me to lead this house," Alaric said, voice low and steady.
Malrik nodded once.
"You want me to accept what you've done. To clean it. To carry it. To pretend like this family is something that can still be saved."