Chapter 87 Silent Shatter

Chapter 87 Silent Shatter
Selene's Private Chamber -- Immediately After

Aria burst through the door, her face pale and her hands trembling. Selene looked up from her desk immediately alert. "What happened?"
"Call Lucian and Darion," Aria said her voice tight.

"Now I found the traitor."

Within minutes, the three Varex siblings and their mother were assembled in the chamber, the door sealed with privacy wards.

"Who is it?" Lucian demanded.

Aria's jaw clenched. "Rhyssa."

The room fell into a shocked silence.

"That's impossible," Darion said. Rhyssa would never..."

"I saw her," Aria interrupted, her voice was sharp. "In the woods with Draven Valios.. the same one who tried to kill us and not to mention Ava multiple times..and i heard every single thing."

Selene's expression darkened. "Tell us everything."

Aria recounted the conversation,her voice was suprisingly steady despite the pain that was tearing through her chest. Draven's threats about Rhyssa's mother being held hostage. The plan to deliver Ava to him before the deadline of four days.

When she finished the silence hung heavy in the room.

"Her mother," Selene said quietly. "I thought she was dead."

"So did we all," Aria replied bitterly barely holding back her tears now. "Apparently that was a lie too."

"She's being coerced," Darion said. "Draven is using her mother as leverage. That's not the same as willing betrayal."

"Does it matter?" Aria snapped. She's still planning to hand Ava over to him. She's still lying to all of us, putting us at risk and she's lying to me.."

Lucian's expression was cold, very calculating.

"We need to confront her immediately. Lock her down before she can.."

"No" Selene said firmly.

Everyone turned to look at her.

"We don't confront her," Selene continued. "Not yet. If we do, Draven will know we're onto him. He'll change his plans, go to ground and we'll loose our chance."

"Our chance for what?" Aria asked.

"To turn this trap back on him,"Selene explained. "Rhyssa thinks she's luring Ava into Draven's hands. But if we know what the plan is we can use it. Let Rhyssa continue. Pretend that nothing is wrong. And when she leads us to Draven, we'll be ready. We'll help her rescue her mother, and end this threat once and for all, we have more adversaries now than ever we need to stick together now more than ever."

"You want us to use her," Aria said her voice hollow.

"I want us to survive," Selene corrected "And this is how we do it."

Lucian nodded slowly. "It makes tactical sense. We gain information, track Draven's location, and control the circumstances of the confrontation rather than reacting to his timeline."

"Ava needs to know about this," Darion added "She's the target. She deserves to be aware of the danger."

"Agreed," Selene said. We'll tell Ava. But no one else. The fewer people who know, the less the chance of Rhyssa discovering we're onto her."

Aria's hands clenched into fists. "And what am I supposed to do? Pretend everything is fine? Act like the woman I love isn't planning to betray us all?"

"Yes", Selene said, her voice gentler now. "I know that it's asking the impossible. But it's necessary."

Aria looked away her throat tight. "She'll know something is wrong. I can't just.."

"You can, Selene said firmly. "You're one of the strongest people I know Aria. And right now, we need that that strength. Can you do this?

Aria wanted to scream,wanted to rage, she wanted to storm out and confront Rhyssa, demand answers and make her explain how she could betray them..betray her so completely. All this time meant nothing to her? how she could do this without feeling anything.

But she knew better and she understood the strategic value of Selene's plan.

"I can do it," Aria said finally, though the words tasted like ash.

"Good," Selene said. "We act normal. We stay vigilant and we prepare for whatever comes in the next four days."

"What about Rhyssa's mother?" Darion asked. "If she's really being held hostage.."

"We'll rescue her if we can," Selene said. But the safety of Ava and everyone here comes first. That's non-negotiable."

Murmurs of reluctant agreement filled the room.

"Everyone stay alert," Selene commanded. "Watch for any changes in behaviour,any signs that Draven is moving ahead of schedule. And no one confronts Rhyssa without my explicit permission or when I give the go ahead. Understood?"

"Understood" they replied in unison.

"Meeting dismissed," Selene said.

Lucian and Selene left immediately,already discussing how to inform Ava and adjust their defenses.

Aria started to follow,but Darion's voice stoppped her.

"Aria. Wait."

She turned, her expression carefully blank.

Darion moved closer, his blue eyesfilled with concern. "Are you okay?"

And that simple question that small act of kindness shattered the walls Aria had been building around all of her pain.

Her face crumpled. A sob tore from her throat. It was loud and filled with so much despair.

Darion caught her as her as her knees buckled,pulling her into his arms as she broke down completely.

"How could she do this to me?" Aria gasped between sobs, her hands clutching at his shirt. "I just wanted to love again. I just wanted to trust someone fully. And she...she..sh lied about everything."

Darion held her tightly saying nothing. What could he possibly say? There were no words that would make any of this better. No platitudes that would ease this of betrayal. So he just held his sister while she cried offering the only comfort he could with his presence, his strength, his silent promise that she wasn't alone in this pain.

Aria's sobs gently quieted, though the tears continued to stream down her face.

"I love her so much this is killing me it really is.." She whispered brokenly.

"I know," Darion murmured.

The door to the chamber opened. Both siblings looked up to see Rhyssa standing in the doorway, concern written across her face.

"Aria?" Rhyssa's voice was gentle, worried. "What's wrong? I heard you crying..are you okay?"

Aria quickly pulled away from Darion, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand. She managed to force her expression into something resembling composure, though her eyes were red and her chheks were still wet with tears.

"Nothing is wrong," Aria said her voice steady despite everything. "Everything is okay."

Rhyssa's brow furrowed. "You're crying. Something is obviously.."

"I said I'm fine," Aria interrupted, more sharply than she intended. She softened her tone slightly. " Just...stress. The war. Everything that's happening it's a lot."

Rhyssa studied her for a long moment, clearly wanting to press further. Her hand lifted, as if to reach for Aria, then dropped back to her side.

"Okay," Rhyssa said quietly, though doubt obviously lingered in her eyes. "If you need to talk.."

"I know where to find you," Aria finished.

The irony of those words knowing exactly where to find Rhyssa, knowing exactly what she was planning, nearky broke Aria's composure all over again. But she held firm.

Rhyssa nodded slowly, then left, closing the door behind her.

The moment she was gone, Aria's legs gave out. Darion caught her again, lowering her gently into a chair.

"I can't do this," Aria whispered. "I can't play pretend with her."

"You can, Darion said firmly. "Because you have to for Ava and for all of us."

Aria closed her eyes,fresh tears spilling over. Little did Rhyssa know that her betrayal hsd been discovered. Little did she know the trap she was setting was about to be turned against her.

Little did she know the woman she had clained to love was breaking apart, piece by piece with every lie she continued to tell.