Chapter 79: A Needle to the Heart

Time seemed to freeze in the aftermath of the attack. Ophelia plummeted towards the earth, her descent marked by the shock and horror of the onlookers, while Lev ascended into the skies, his massive wings beating furiously against the darkening backdrop. The moment Ophelia was struck, the lycans halted their assault, their howls of rage and anguish filling the air. She was immediately engulfed by a thick, inky black mist that seemed to swallow the castle grounds in an impenetrable darkness. The once vibrant, lively atmosphere of the ballroom abruptly shifted as the music came to a halt, and shouts from outside drew every guest's attention to the windows. An overwhelming sense of rage filled the air, palpable to all who could sense it. The anger was so profound that it seemed to pulse with a life of its own, waiting for the dragoness to regain consciousness. Alina rushed outside, her path obscured by the dense fog that had swallowed the night. She could barely make out the towering