Chapter 27: The Echoes of Betrayal

"Why didn't you tell me?" Sarah's voice broke the stillness in the room, filled with a pain Alex wasn't ready to confront.

Alex stood in the middle of the apartment, the heaviness of Jacob's visit still lingering like a fog that refused to lift. The words, the warning—it all clung to their skin like a second layer. But Sarah's question cut deeper than any threat of ancient powers.

"I didn't—" Alex started, then stopped, unsure how to explain the chaos they had been dealing with. "I didn't know how."

Sarah's eyes burned with betrayal, her gaze sharp and unrelenting. "You didn't know how? Or you didn't want me to know? You've been keeping things from me, Alex, ever since this all started. And now—now he's here." She gestured toward the door, where Jacob had stood only moments ago.