Rebirth Of The Rejected Luna Chapter 213: Commander Rhylen

Tiana's POV

I couldn’t hide the shock that flashed across my face. Talia. My false name. How did he know? I quickly masked my expression, but it was too late. His eyes flickered with something dark, something knowing as he saw my gaze. I tried to make out his face, but each time, the flame from the torch was blown by the wind casting shadows over them.

"And I know you're working for Lord Dune," he continued the words like a punch to my gut. He was talking about the man from the bridge. "He’s the one who cleared your name for that murder, isn’t he? The one that wasn’t really your fault." His gaze hardened as he studied me, a cold smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Or was it?"

I felt the blood drain from my face. How much did he know? How did he know that?

Suddenly, I remembered what happened previously. We had a mission after that meeting... I was with Peter and suddenly everything went dark... And then what? I woke up tied in this room only to be drugged by who?

The vision blurred before me.

I swallowed hard, trying to steady my breathing, my thoughts racing. Lord Dune. He was the reason I had been set free, the reason I wasn’t rotting in some grave for a crime I hadn’t committed. But that’s not something I wanted to talk about. Not with this strange yet oddly familiar person and certainly not while I was chained up like a common criminal.

"What do you want?" My voice came out hoarse, barely a whisper. But I made sure to keep it steady. I had to maintain some control.

The man speaking to me stepped closer, his face now illuminated by the torchlight. I recognized him. He wasn’t a stranger. I had seen him during the attack. He had been one of the soldiers. But now, standing in front of me, there was something more in his eyes—a depth I couldn’t quite place. Something sinister.

That's when it clicked in my head. This was Commander Rhylen.

I was surprised that the commander was part of those against the king. Wasn't he one of the people at the forefront of defense? How...

"You think you can just play your part and fade?" he asked, his voice calm but menacing. "You think you're safe behind the palace walls because of Dune?" He took another step closer, his boots clicking on the stone floor, his gaze fixed on me.

I refused to back down. "I don't know what you're talking about," I said, forcing my voice to stay steady despite the turmoil inside me.

His smile was sharp and cruel. "Oh, but you do," he said. "You think I don't know what you really are? You've been in the palace long enough to know that secrets don't stay hidden forever." His eyes locked onto mine, boring into my soul.

"You think you can just erase your past?" he continued, his voice dripping with contempt. "Forget about the blood on your hands?" I clenched my jaw, but I didn't respond. He wasn't giving me a chance to explain myself anyway.

"You're not who you say you are," he said, pacing a slow circle around me, inspecting every inch of my being like I was a puzzle he was eager to solve. "And I'm here to make sure you don't get the chance to hide anymore."

A heavy silence fell between us. His words were literally a threat to me. He knew too much. About Talia. About Lord Dune— the man from the bridge. About the fact that Talia was a fake identity.

"I don't have time for this," I finally said, my voice cold and calm. I had to get a grip on the situation. I had to find a way out.

"So if you're done here, you can leave," I added, trying to sound confident.

Commander Rhylen paused, staring down at me for a long moment, the silence stretching out like a tense wire. Then, to my surprise, he chuckled.

"You're brave," he said with a hint of amusement, but the cruelty in his eyes remained. "But that won't save you."

Before I could say anything else, he turned and walked toward the door. Just as he reached the threshold, he glanced back over his shoulder.

"Don't think you're getting out of this, Talia," he said. "We both know who you really are."

With that, he left, the sound of the door slamming shut behind him echoing in my ears. I sat there in the quiet, trying to calm the whirlwind of thoughts racing through my mind.

He knew. He knew everything. And now, there was no turning back.

I had to escape, and fast. When the footsteps faded away and the cell was quiet again, I shifted my position, testing the ropes around my wrists. They were tight, but I could still work with them. I just needed time to think and come up with a plan.

I started working on the ropes, my fingers shaking as I pulled and twisted. The pain in my wrists was almost too much to bear, but I kept going. I couldn't afford to stop now.

Every minute felt like an eternity. My heart was racing as I heard someone approaching again. I froze, holding my breath. I didn't have time to escape now.

But I had to act fast. With one final tug, I felt the rope give way, and my wrists were finally free. I didn't waste a second.

I stood up shakily, my legs trembling beneath me. I moved to the door, my heart pounding in my chest. I could hear muffled voices outside, but I didn't care. I had one chance to escape, and I wasn't going to let it slip away.

I twisted the lock, holding my breath as I slowly opened the door. It creaked, but it didn't seem to attract any attention. I slipped out into the hallway, staying low to the ground and moving as fast as I could.