#Chapter 39: The Other Side of the King

I leave Alston’s cell, with him screaming and the rattle of his chains leaving me with a heavy heart, each step feeling like I'm walking through quicksand. The air feels colder, sharper, as if it knows the weight of what I've just done. I pause at the edge of the staircase, taking a deep breath to steady myself. This is for the best, I remind myself. Alston will be free, and so will I. I climb the staircase slowly, my mind swirling with conflicting emotions. Guilt claws at my insides, but beneath it all, a flicker of something else stirs. Sirius occupies my thoughts in a way that both terrifies and exhilarates me. His face flashes before my eyes—his intense gaze, his dark, brooding eyes that seem to strip away all my defenses, exposing me in ways I never imagined. There’s something utterly consuming about the way he looks at me, like he’s willing to devour every part of me. The thought of it both terrifies and exhilarates me. I’ve never felt this kind of hunger before, this