Chapter 39 The Unraveling

The shadows in the air seemed to linger long after the figure had vanished, the weight of his final words pressing against Isla like a physical force. She stood motionless, her chest heaving, her breath coming in sharp, ragged gasps. The storm still raged inside her, swirling with a power that was too vast, too ancient to be understood. But she had done it. She had fought back. And for the first time, she had felt in control. But she knew it wasn’t over. The storm, the power inside her, was only momentarily subdued. She could feel it, a living force just beneath the surface, waiting, watching, ready to surge again. It was a restless energy, a wild thing that would not be tamed.