Kaelen's POV
The corpses had been removed from the great hall.
Crimson stains marked the ancient stones in persistent patches, seeping deep into every crack and crevice. The guards, assisted by several Omegas, labored without speaking, scraping, washing, and scraping once more. The acrid smell of disinfectant attempted to overpower the metallic tang hanging in the atmosphere, yet it failed completely. Iron still coated the inside of my mouth, heavy and bitter.
I remained positioned at the room's heart, observing their efforts.
Not from necessity, but because witnessing was required.
The lesson still demanded absorption into many minds that this was how betrayal concluded when justice prevailed.
