Chapter 21 The First Betrayal

The cabin felt colder now, the air thick with the weight of silence. Lila sat by the cracked window, her mind still heavy with the warning her mother had left her with. Every word from Lucienne echoed in her mind, a sharp, unrelenting reminder of the impossible choice she now faced. To walk away from Kai, abandon the only connection that had ever felt real, embrace the curse, and choose a love that could destroy everything. Kai was still here, though, still standing by her. He’d always been her anchor, and despite the chaos, the anger, and the uncertainty, she could still feel the pull of their bond, the connection that had grown stronger with every passing day.