Julian stood quietly behind Ruby, his fists clenched. Ruby stayed calm on the outside, but inside, her blood was boiling.
"How can someone do this and still sleep at night…" Ruby whispered under her breath.
The witch looked at her. "You wouldn't understand," she muttered, and turned back to the crowd.
But Ruby's mind was already working fast.
She understood more than they thought.
Ruby glanced around at the tense, worried faces. Then she cleared her throat softly, lifting her chin just a little to show calm confidence. The murmurs died down. All eyes turned to her, most of them frowning with suspicion. She smiled gently, not showing even a hint of fear.
"Actually… I might know what you all can do," she said, her voice calm but filled with something mysterious. It wasn't pride—it was assurance, as if she had seen this situation before and already knew the way out.
