#Chapter 117: Council Preparation Intensifies

Aurora's POV The walk back to the Alpha King's stronghold stretched on forever. Kane and I didn't speak much. What was there to say? We didn’t complete the mission, and now Raymond was in worse shape than before. Every footstep felt like we were abandoning him to Giana's claws. "We made everything worse," I finally said when the stronghold's gates came into view. My voice came out flat. Dead. "That artifact got stronger after we messed with it. Whatever piece of Raymond was still in there..." Kane's jaw tightened. "We used the intelligence we had and made the best tactical decision possible." I understood what he was saying but the guilt still sat in my stomach like a stone. Raymond had been my friend once. Before Giana twisted him into something unrecognizable. Now he was becoming a monster, and I'd helped push him over the edge. The Alpha King was waiting in his study when we arrived. His expression told me he already knew the mission had gone sideways. Kane delivered his