Chapter 5 Five

Nymera Lancaster POV:

“Impossible!”

The word did not come from me alone. It echoed across the hall, layered with disbelief, fear, and something far worse. Recognition.

I stood frozen, my eyes locked on the woman who had just walked in like she owned the ground beneath her feet. Like she belonged here. Like I didn’t.

She looked exactly like me.

Not similar. Not close. Exact.

Same face. Same eyes. Same lips. Same everything.

It felt like I was staring into a mirror that had stepped out of its frame just to ruin me.

My breath caught in my throat as my fingers curled into fists at my side. “What the hell…” I whispered again, but this time, my voice trembled.

The hall had gone completely silent. No one moved. No one even dared to breathe too loud.

And then she spoke.

“That woman,” she said, her voice steady, sharp, and carrying across every corner of the chamber, “is an imposter.”

A ripple of gasps followed immediately.

My heart dropped.

Her gaze never left mine as she walked forward, slow and deliberate, like a predator that had finally found its prey. “I am Athlea Voss.”

My stomach twisted painfully.

“And I demand to know,” she continued, her tone rising with controlled anger, “who dares to stand in my place.”

The weight of every eye in the room slammed into me at once. I felt betrayed and disorganized.

I could feel it. Suspicion. Confusion. Hostility.

The same people who had watched me challenge the Alpha Lawyer now looked at me like I was something to be dragged out and torn apart.

Beside me, Liora’s grip on my arm tightened painfully. “Say something,” she whispered urgently. “Athlea, you need to say something now.”

Athlea.

That name again. I don’t know why

But this time, it didn’t feel like something I could hide behind. It felt like a noose tightening around my neck.

My mind raced, thoughts crashing into each other without direction. I didn’t know this world. I didn’t know their rules. I didn’t even know what was happening to me.

But I knew one thing.

If I stayed silent, I was finished.

So I stepped forward.

The movement alone caused a stir.

The guards shifted. The crowd leaned in. Even the air felt heavier, thicker, like it was waiting to see if I would break.

I didn’t.

Instead, I lifted my chin and met her gaze head on.

“An imposter?” I repeated, my voice steadier than I felt. “That’s a serious accusation.”

A few murmurs broke out.

Good. Let them talk. Let them doubt. Doubt buys time.

Her eyes narrowed slightly, clearly not expecting that response. “You stand there wearing my face, carrying my name, and you dare question me?”

I let out a small scoff, shaking my head. “No. I’m questioning your claim.”

The tension snapped tighter.

“You walk into a court,” I continued, my tone sharpening, “interrupt an ongoing proceeding, and declare yourself the real one without presenting a single piece of proof.”

Silence.

Then more murmurs. Louder this time.

I could feel it shift. Just slightly. But enough.

She took another step closer, her expression darkening. “I don’t need proof. Everyone here knows who I am.”

I tilted my head, unimpressed. “Then it should be very easy to prove it.”

That hit. I saw it in the flicker of her eyes.

I pressed forward before she could recover. “Names can be claimed. Faces can be copied. But identity?” I gestured lightly between us. “That requires more than walking into a room and making noise.”

A low ripple of agreement moved through parts of the crowd.

Liora exhaled softly beside me, like she hadn’t realized she was holding her breath.

The other woman’s jaw tightened. “You think you can outplay me?”

“I think,” I said calmly, “that if you’re telling the truth, then you have nothing to fear.”

My heart was pounding so hard I could feel it in my ears, but I didn’t let it show.

This was no different from a courtroom. Pressure. Eyes. Judgment.

I had survived worse.

“Present your evidence,” I added, my voice clear. “Or withdraw your accusation.”

The hall went still again.

And then—

A slow clap echoed through the chamber.

Every head turned.

The Alpha Lawyer.

He stepped forward from where he had been watching, his expression unreadable, but his eyes… his eyes were locked on me with something far more intense than before.

Interest.

Sharp. Dangerous.

“Fascinating,” he murmured, his voice cutting through the silence. “You turn a confrontation into a trial within seconds.”

My spine stiffened, but I didn’t look away. “Isn’t that what a court is for?”

His lips curved slightly. Not quite a smile. Not anything friendly.

“Careful,” he said softly. “You’re starting to sound like you belong here.”

I swallowed hard.

Because that was the problem.

I didn’t.

Not even a little.

He shifted his gaze to the other woman. “You claim to be Athlea Voss.”

“I am,” she replied immediately.

“Then you will prove it,” he said calmly.

A pause.

A dangerous one.

Because the authority in his voice left no room for argument.

Her confidence faltered for just a second. Just enough for me to notice.

But then she straightened. “And when I do?”

His gaze flicked back to me, slow and deliberate.

“If she fails,” he said, “she will answer for impersonation in my court.”

A chill ran down my spine.

And if I failed?

I didn’t need to ask.

I could already feel it in the way the room watched me.

They wouldn’t hesitate.

Not here. Not in this world.

I drew in a slow breath, forcing my fear down, locking it away where it couldn’t betray me.

Then I met his gaze fully.

“Fair,” I said.

Even if it wasn’t.

Even if I had no idea what I was walking into.

Even if this entire thing could destroy me.

Because right now—

This was a case.

And I was not losing it.