Chapter 17

• The forest stretched out before me, dark and endless, as I walked deeper into the trees, away from Elijah, away from Damian, and away from everything that had been pulling me apart for so long. The further I moved, the quieter the world seemed to become, but inside me, the storm raged.
• I wasn’t running. Not this time. I was leaving with purpose. Elijah’s words still echoed in my mind—You won’t survive without us—but I refused to let them have power over me. I had spent too long letting them decide my fate, and now, for the first time, I was choosing my own path.
• But even as I pushed forward, the darkness that Elijah had awakened in me pulsed like a second heartbeat, growing stronger with every step. I couldn’t ignore it any longer. I could feel it changing me, pulling me toward something I didn’t fully understand. And the worst part? A part of me wanted it.