When The Moon Hides Her Crown novel Chapter 235

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**He Promised to Give Me the World, Yet the Price Was My Soul**
**by Caden Blake**
**Chapter 235: Yield**

**SERAPHINA**

Before I even had a moment to process the night that had just passed, the first light of morning crept in, casting a soft glow across the cold, unforgiving floor where I had spent the night. I had been there, motionless, my eyes fixed on the moon as it slowly succumbed to the encroaching dawn. My tears had long since evaporated, leaving my cheeks feeling stiff and hollow, as if they were mere masks of my former self. The emotional turmoil inside me was a raging storm, but I locked it away, terrified that Ronan might catch a glimpse of the chaos brewing within.

What wounded me more deeply? Was it my father’s harsh words, echoing in my mind, or the crushing reality that I had lost everything in an instant? My family, my pack, my sanctuary—gone, snatched away like a cruel trick of fate. And the most unbearable truth of all: I would never again feel my mother’s warm embrace.

The ache in my chest was so profound that it transcended mere pain; it became a numbing sensation, a dull throb that dulled my senses. With each passing moment, I felt myself retreating further into a void, burying every flicker of emotion deep within me, promising myself that I would never allow them to surface again.

The silence enveloped me like a heavy shroud. The only sign of life was the soft light filtering through the small window, a gentle reminder that dawn had indeed arrived, whether I was ready for it or not.

Suddenly, the door creaked open, shattering the stillness. A council guard stepped inside, his expression impassive as he set a tray of food on the table before me.

“You are scheduled for your first and only hearing this evening,” he announced in a flat, emotionless tone. “Be ready.”

I didn’t bother to look at him. I had long since ceased to meet the eyes of those who brought me sustenance, who collected the untouched meals, who treated me as if I were already marked guilty.

I simply waited, trapped in my thoughts.

Even though my father had severed all ties with me, I was acutely aware that the Council would not simply let me go. I had stood firm against their demands, refusing to acknowledge my supposed crime, refusing to submit to their insistence on marriage, and defiantly choosing to remain at the Academy. My name, whether it was a façade or not, still lingered in their records, and they couldn’t expel me without an official hearing.

When the door swung open again, the shadows of evening had already settled around me, and it was five o’clock.

“Let’s go,” the guard commanded, his voice brooking no argument.

I rose from the floor, brushing the dust from my worn pants. As I gathered my hair into a loose ponytail, Phina stirred within me, awake, alert, and silent, ready to confront whatever lay ahead.

Standing before the Grand Hall once more, a grim realization washed over me with brutal clarity.

This was not merely a hearing.

It was a war.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to me, Finn sat in a dimly lit chamber, shrouded in shadows. The faint glow from the monitors illuminated his sharp features, casting stark lines across his face, as wisps of smoke curled from the cigarette dangling between his fingers.

Austin stood a few paces away, his voice low and laced with tension. “Elder Milton has made his move, Alpha. Seraphina has been summoned for the hearing. Everything about this feels… off.”