The warehouse smelled of gunpowder, smoke, and blood. Aria's lungs burned with each breath. Her eyes tried to adjust after the blinding floodlights, but shadows still swam before her. Around her, Sebastian's men tightened the circle, guns steady, eyes sharp. She could hear Lorenzo growl low under his breath, ready to fight even if the odds were impossible.
But none of that mattered. Not yet.
Her gaze locked on the figure who had grabbed her shoulder. The voice still echoed in her head: "Did you really think you could do this alone?"
It was Mateo.
Her own cousin. The one who had been with her since childhood, the one she had trusted with secrets no one else knew. His face was calm, almost sad, but his eyes… his eyes were cold steel.
"Mateo?" Her voice cracked, sharp with disbelief. "You?"
He didn't flinch. "It had to be me, Aria. You've been blinded by your hunger for power. I warned you, didn't I? Shadows consume everything. And you've lost yourself in them."
