Chapter36: All is Not Lost

*Maerilee* The message feels weighty in my hands as I read it, each word burrowing into my mind, stirring a confusing blend of relief and uncertainty. Permiton has tried, on a very small parchment of paper, to explain his version of events. He’s written about why he turned against us, how he saw a vision of our destruction and had to make a quick decision, how there was no time to explain. In a few short words, he tries  to convey that we can still trust him, that he would never truly betray us. Even still, I feel the urge to crush the paper in my fist, to rid myself of the tangled emotions twisting inside me, but instead, I reach for Brook, who’s been sitting nearby, quietly watching, waiting. I need him to read this, to make sense of it with me. “It’s from Permiton,” I say, holding the note out to him. “I’m not sure what to make of it.” He takes it carefully, his brow furrowing as his eyes scan over Permiton’s handwriting. His silence stretches, and I feel the pressure building as I