Ivan stood frozen.
His hands were trembling as he held the note again, the same note from Ruslan. His eyes read the words over and over.
"Now you will feel what it's like to lose everything, Prince Ivan."
The letters burned into his mind like fire. They screamed louder than any voice ever could.
It didn't make any sense. Ruslan was dead. He was sure of it. He had killed him. He had watched him fall. They had buried him. It wasn't possible.
No, it wasn't just impossible—it was cruel. A nightmare dressed like reality. The kind that makes your stomach twist and your soul crawl. The kind that makes you question your own memory, your sanity.
His knees wobbled. His throat was so tight it hurt to breathe. His whole body felt like it had been thrown into a freezing river. Cold. Shocked. Numb.
