A Warrior's Second Chance (Faye and Alexander) novel Chapter 474

FAYE

I stayed in Janet’s chambers longer than I wanted to.

Janet moved around the room calmly, gathering things one after another with the kind of focus that came from routine.

That made her look creepy.

How normal she looked doing it.

Like this was just another evening to her.

Like people walked into this room all the time, trusting her with their lives, and she simply decided which ones deserved to walk back out.

I stayed seated quietly, watching her without making it obvious.

She handled small bowls, old containers, folded cloths, and several objects I didn’t recognize immediately. Occasionally, she murmured to herself under her breath, almost thoughtfully, like she was mentally checking things off.

Meanwhile, I was sitting there pretending not to know she was preparing for my

death.

The thought should have terrified me more than it did.

Maybe something was wrong with me at this point.

Or maybe I had simply crossed the stage where fear could still change anything.

Janet finally glanced toward me again.

“You’ll need to change before we begin,” she said calmly.

I blinked once before answering carefully.

“I didn’t come with another set of clothes.”

“That’s alright,” Janet replied immediately.

She didn’t even hesitate.

“I will provide what you need.”

I nodded slowly.

Of course she would.

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I looked away briefly, trying not to let my thoughts spiral too much.

The room suddenly felt smaller now.

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Like the closer we got to the ritual, the harder it became to ignore what was really waiting for me at the end of it.

Janet returned to arranging things again.

And I continued watching her.

Studying her.

Trying to understand what kind of person could sit this calmly while planning to spill someone else’s blood before the night ended.

Then again-

Helen was preparing for dark magic too.

The difference was motive.

That was what separated monsters from people willing to do terrible things for someone they loved.

At least, that was what I kept telling myself.

After a while, Janet finally stopped moving around.

“You should return to the main house for now,” she said.

I looked up at her.

“When everything is ready, I’ll send for you.”

I nodded slowly and stood to my feet.

Honestly, I didn’t argue because I needed the air.

Badly.

The moment I stepped outside her chambers and the door closed behind me, I finally inhaled

properly again.

A deep breath.

Then another.

The tension in my chest eased slightly, but not fully.

Chapter 474

It couldn’t.

Not when reality still sat heavily in the back of my mind.

Tonight.

Everything would happen tonight.

The thought followed me all the way back to the main house.

By the time I got there, I suddenly realized how exhausted I actually felt.

Not physically.

Emotionally.

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Like my mind had spent too many days balancing between fear, preparation, acceptance, and pretending to stay strong for everyone around me.

I sat quietly where they told me to wait.

Minutes passed.

Or maybe longer.

At some point, I stopped checking.

The closer nightfall came, the quieter everything around me seemed to become.

The sky outside slowly darkened.

And with every passing second, my awareness sharpened.

This was real.

Not planning anymore.

Not theory.

Real.

Eventually, footsteps approached.

I looked up immediately.

Darren again…

Of course.

He walked toward me with the same composed expression he always wore, like nothing

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Chapter 474

about tonight disturbed him.

“The healer is ready for you,” he said.

There it was.

I stood slowly to my feet.

“Where do I go?” I asked.

Darren motioned for me to follow him personally instead of simply pointing somewhere.

We stepped outside the main house together.

The air had changed now.

Cooler.

Night had almost fully settled over Stonevale.

Darren led me farther away from the center of the territory than I expected.

The farther we walked, the quieter it became.

No guards.

No passing wolves. No movement.

Just silence and the sound of our footsteps against the earth.

Eventually, we reached a narrow path leading toward the woods.

My eyes moved around automatically.

Most people would have felt afraid walking into something like this.

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A lonely path deep in unfamiliar territory at night, with a man they barely knew leading them somewhere hidden.

But honestly?

How was I supposed to fear an ambush when I had already willingly walked toward my own sacrifice?

At this point, danger felt almost secondary.

I lifted my eyes briefly toward the darkening sky above the trees.

The moon was beginning to rise.

For a second, I closed my eyes briefly.

Moon Goddess…

Please give me strength.

Enough to get through this.

Enough to survive whatever came after.

Darren suddenly stopped walking.

I looked ahead automatically before realizing he wasn’t continuing.

“This is where you go alone,” he said.

I frowned faintly.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to find the exact place myself.”

Darren shook his head once.

“You’ll hear her voice,” he explained calmly. “Follow the sound.”

The moment he said that, something inside me tightened faintly.

Because immediately-

The dream.

The strange voice.

The chanting.

The pull through darkness.

Just like in the dream.

The realization settled heavily in my

chest.

I tried not to show it.

Instead, I nodded slowly.

“Alright.”

Darren stepped back slightly.

Like his role ended here.

Maybe it did.

Claires

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Chapter 474

I looked at him one final time before quietly saying, “Thank you.”

The words almost tasted bitter coming out of my mouth, considering what he was really leading me toward.

But Darren simply nodded once.

Then turned and walked away without another word.

And just like that-

I was alone.

Completely alone.

The silence around me deepened instantly after Darren disappeared from sight.

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For a second, I remained where I was standing, staring ahead at the dark path leading deeper into the woods.

Then slowly-

began to walk forward.

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