My relief evaporated.
"The mistress is a prisoner here."
The chamber seemed to contract around those words.
I looked toward the towering walls of the Eternal Prison—the ancient stone, the sealed passages, the countless wards woven through its foundations.
"A prisoner?"
My voice came out quieter than intended.
"So… it's true."
I glanced toward Hestia's empty surroundings, suddenly seeing the place differently.
Not a sanctuary.
Not a fortress she controlled.
A cage.
Vorta inclined his head.
"You can ask Jiuge. She was the last person to remain with the mistress before Hestia pleaded with her to leave."
My eyes shifted toward Jiuge.
The nine tails that normally moved with restless elegance were completely still.
Her gaze had lowered.
For once, there was no teasing smile, no arrogance, no playful sway of those tails.
Only grief.
"Jiuge?"
She took a slow breath.
"I last saw the mistress here," she said.
Her voice was soft enough that I almost missed it.
