#Chapter 563: The End of an Era

Olivia My hands shook uncontrollably as I stepped up to the edge of the pit, clutching the metal grating until my knuckles turned white. A thick, cloying stench wafted up from the darkness below—the unmistakable reek of death and decay. Despite the waves of nausea already roiling in my gut, I leaned forward for a closer look. “Liv, I really don't think you want to see this,” Nathan warned, his voice strained. He reached out as if to pull me back, but I shrugged off his hand. “I have to,” I murmured, swallowing hard against the rising bile. “As Luna, it’s my duty to bear witness.” Nathan paused, blinking confusedly at me for a few moments, but said nothing. We had already had this conversation before, when he had come out into the garden with his phone clutched in his hand. He had insisted on coming here alone to see what had happened, but I had refused to stay behind. Drawing in a steadying breath, I willed my eyes to adjust to the dim light filtering down into the pi