Lyra’s POV
The air in the room was thick, heavy with the pulse of the curse. The hum wrapped around me like an unyielding chain, pulling me down, suffocating me.
I felt it pressing against my chest, squeezing the breath from me. It knew. It knew I was about to make a choice—a choice that could either save Rhyker or destroy everything I’d fought for.
I glanced down at him again, his body was so still, so lifeless, and it took every ounce of my strength not to break. His once steady heartbeat was now a faint whisper, barely there at all. The pulse of the curse grew louder, more insistent, and I knew deep in my gut that if I didn’t act soon, it would be too late.
But the price.
The price hung over me like a shadow, lingering just out of reach, its cold fingers brushing against my skin e
