CH 28
The floor shuddered beneath them, stone grinding against stone as the spike wall roared closer, its metal teeth gleaming with hunger. Heat scorched the air, flames licking the edges of the chamber like living creatures demanding sacrifice.
Ethan didn’t think.
He felt.
He pulled Aria harder against him, her body fitting into his as if destiny itself had carved them to match. One arm locked around her waist, the other braced against the shifting ground, muscles screaming, blood dripping, heart pounding with one singular truth—
If the world ends here, she will not face it alone.
“Look at me,” he commanded softly, desperately.
Aria lifted her eyes to his. Fear shimmered there… but beneath it was something stronger. Trust. Love. Belonging.
“I’m here,” she whispered. “I’m not afrai
