Chapter 289

• Lycidas' POV
• The morning light seeped through the narrow windows of the chamber, its pale fingers clawing at the stone walls, casting a dim glow that felt more like a shroud than a blessing. I stood there, cloaked in shadow, my breath a quiet snarl in my chest, the beast within pacing its cage. Finn was before me, his back turned, gazing out as if the world beyond held some answer I'd never given him. He didn't hear me approach - my footsteps were a predator's whisper, honed from years of stalking prey through moonlit forests and blood-soaked battles.
• As I closed the distance, he turned his head, and I caught the flicker in his eyes - relief, perhaps, or a fool's hope. His lips parted, the ghost of a smile tugging at them, but before it could fully bloom, I struck. My claws, sharp as moonlight on steel, tore through his chest with a wet, ripping sound. Blood bloomed like dark flowers across his shirt, vivid and cruel against the white fabric, spreading as if eager to claim him.