ALPHA XAVIER POV

A heavy silence settled over the castle hall, suffocating any semblance of normalcy as tension crackled in the air. It was as if the very walls themselves held their breath, waiting for the slightest cue to either erupt into chaos or return to uneasy calm.

Slowly, deliberately, I turned to survey the gathered faces, each one a portrait of conflicting emotions. Isabel's expression spoke volumes, a mix of relief and gratitude etched across her features. Valerian's intervention had not gone unnoticed, and it seemed to have earned him her silent appreciation.

Marita's reaction was more subtle, her head shaking almost imperceptibly as if to caution against any...