Two days passed since Aire’s issues of power in the hall where she was meant to be detained. She fainted immediately after her vision stopped, and was carried back to her room.

Servants began avoiding her corridor entirely unless absolutely necessary.

When assigned duties near her wing, they requested reassignment with trembling hands and lowered eyes.

Some refused outright and others simply didn’t show up.

Their fear of her had evolved. They all concluded she is to be killed as she showed her powers herself.

At this point, the majority of the wolves supported her execution.

Inside the inner council chamber, the atmosphere was suffocating.

Elijah sat at the head of the table. The weight of the room pressed against him harder than anything physical.

Elders spoke over each other and the military heads argued in tight, urgent tones.

"It is spreading beyond the castle," one elder said sharply. "Common wolves are already speaking of cleansing."

"They are demanding action."

"If we delay, there will be riots."

Elijah listened without interruption.

Alaric stood near the side of the chamber, arms crossed with his expression cold.

"When did fear become justification for slaughter?" he asked quietly.

An elder turned toward him immediately.

"You speak as if this is a political disagreement," the elder snapped. "This is a threat."

Alaric’s eyes sharpened. "She is a person before she is a threat. I think we should speak that way while deciding."

The room went briefly silent.

Nate sat slightly apart from the rest, quiet and unmoving. He wasn’t detached. He simply blamed himself for brushing his feelings aside all those times he suspected her hiding something.

His jaw remained clenched for most of the meeting. And his eyes rested on the person speaking on every mention of Aire.

He looked increasingly unstable by haunted recognition. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

A military head slammed a hand on the table. "We should have contained her the moment the mark was confirmed." He challenged.

Alaric’s hand moved instantly to the hilt of his blade. The temperature in the room dropped.

"Say that again," Alaric said softly.

The elder didn’t back down. "I said contain her."

A chair scraped violently. Xander stood this time. His expression had shifted entirely. The whole castle had been pushing him to an edge over the past few days, and there wasnt a secund where he wasn’t furious, and want to kill soemone.

"That is my Luna you are discussing like an experiment," Xander snapped, wanting to kill anyone who speaks.

Several council members flinched.

The air changed instantly. Alaric didn’t move, but he watched Xander carefully now.

Nate finally looked up.

Elijah’s gaze sharpened.

"Xander," Elijah said warningly.

Xander stepped forward anyway.

"You want containment?" he said, voice rising. "You want to cage her like an animal because you are afraid of what you do not understand?"

A chair tipped over behind him.

"I will not allow it." He hissed through his teeth.

Alaric shifted slightly as if preparing to intervene.

Xander turned toward Elijah fully now. "And if you order it," he said coldly, "you will have to put me down first."

The room froze completely.

Elijah looked less like a ruler at the moment, and more like a father.

Finally, he spoke. "Prepare the lower dungeon." He ordered, his voice final.

Alaric’s expression changed instantly. Everything was moving so lastly, and he doesn’t even understand how things got this bad.

......

That night, Michelle moved through the servant corridors quietly.

Her footsteps were light. She walked passed guards who did not meet her eyes.

And eventually, she reached Aire’s wing.

Aire was alone sitting near the edge of her bed when she walked in.

Michelle stepped inside without hesitation.

"I thought you might need company," she said gently.

Aire looked up slowly. Suspicion immediately flickered in her eyes. She now had an habit of being lightly suspicious of anyone who tries to come close to her except Mabel.

Michelle smiled faintly and set a tray down.

"I brought food," she added softly.

Aire didn’t move. "I’m not hungry."

Michelle nodded. She expected that. She took a seat away from Aire, and stared at her. Silence stretched between them, as Aire paid no attention to her.

Michelle cleared her throat, to start a conversation. "People react to fear the exact way it is shown to them."

Aire’s gaze sharpened faintly.

Michelle continued carefully. "If they saw it differently... they might stop reacting like this."

Aire frowned slightly. She gave Mitchell a lazy look. "What do you mean?"

Michelle tilted her head. "Your abilities," she said softly. "They are overwhelming, yes. But not dangerous when controlled."

Aire’s fingers tightened slightly in her lap.

Michelle leaned forward just slightly. "Maybe if they saw you use them calmly and intentionally, they would calm down too."

Aire hesitated. "I don’t want to hurt anyone."

"I know," Michelle replied immediately. "That is why control matters. It saddens me that you’re left to navigate almost of these alone."

Aire’s gaze lowered to her fingers. She felt uncertain and tired, but hopeful at the same time.

She felt a desperate need to be seen as something other than what they were calling her.

Michelle stood slowly.

"You don’t have to do anything big," she added gently. "Just... something small."

Aire looked at her. "...like what?"

Michelle smiled faintly. "Just show me how you do it."

Aire hesitated.

Then slowly, she lifted her hand. A nearby cup trembled slightly, then rose. It hovered in the air, controlled.

Aire’s breathing steadied slightly as she focused. Another object lifted, then another. She lifted a third one with her eyes, and held it in the air.

Michelle watched carefully. Her mouth parted in shock, but she quickly caught herself, and made sure her plan is in motion.

Unseen behind a partially closed panel in the corridor wall, a guard stood perfectly still, watching through a narrow slit.

Another guard stood nearby.

Meanwhile, inside the room, Aire lifted one final object. She lifted a small metal ornament and it floated gently in front of her.

Her expression softened slightly. She let our a soft sigh, believing she could control her powers to be calm.

Aire parted her lips to speak, and suddenly, the doors burst open.

Guards flooded in instantly with their steel drawn.

"STOP!"

"DON’T MOVE!"

"CONTAIN HER!"

Everyone was talking at the same time in her chamber.

Aire froze. Her hand dropped, and the objects fell, clattering loudly against the floor. Her breath caught in fear, and her eyes widened in pure shock.

Michelle stepped back immediately. Her hands were raised slightly with her eyes wide in staged alarm.

She suddenly looked so innocent as if she had not just encouraged everything that happened.

Aire turned slowly. She faced Mitchell, shaking as she realized a few things. They needed a solid reason to contain her, and Mitchell made that a reality by setting her up.

"Michelle...?" Her voice cracked on calling Mitchelle. Her eyes lost every spark in them. Her shoulders slumped in defeat.

She had used her powers outside before everyone, but she had narrowly escaped containment. Now, using it in her room seemed so suspicious. Thus giving them more reason to arrest her.

Michelle met her eyes, and smiled softly. She bowed mockingly, and straightened immediately.