Page 185 of A Reign of Chromes & Shadows

Instinctively, he slammed up his energetic shield, blocking out the flood of emotions crashing toward him; Jay’s pain, Wren’s anger, Emily’s heartbreak, Rogan’s discomfort.

He couldn’t bear to feel any of it.

Wren reached for Jay, trying to comfort him, but he brushed her off, jaw clenched, eyes fixed on the table. Wren’s gaze snapped to Rain; accusing and protective.

Rain had seen that look before.

He’d earned it more times than he cared to admit.

The conversation shifted awkwardly, stilted, forced, exactly as Rain had intended.

But instead of relief, a heavy weight settled in his chest.

He felt hollow.

Like he’d carved out a piece of himself and left it bleeding on the table.

Emily sat quietly beside him, her earlier warmth dimmed. Rain mirrored her silence, arms folded, gaze distant.

Doubt crept in—slow, insidious, familiar.

He had sacrificed himself again.

For what he believed was the greater good.

But this time, the cost was different.

This time, his heart bore the consequence.

His promises echoed in his mind; to be a better king, to honour the gift of his friendships, to rise above manipulation and fear and yet here he was, pushing away the very people who made him feel alive.

How could he lead a kingdom when he couldn’t even let himself be loved?

The café, once warm and inviting, now felt suffocating.

The air thickened around him, pressing against his ribs, making it hard to breathe.

He leaned toward Emily, voice barely above a whisper.

“I need to step out for some air.”

He slid out of the booth before anyone could stop him.

He felt their eyes on his back but he didn’t look back.

He couldn’t.

The door clattered shut behind him, the sound echoing like a final punctuation mark on a moment he wished he could undo.

Chapter 49

“Oi, Rain! Wait!”

The voice cracked through the air like a whip; frantic, breathless, unmistakably Jay.

Rain halted so abruptly his boots scraped against the pavement. His heart lurched into his throat, a violent, disbelieving jump that left him momentarily weightless.

He turned.