Selene’s POV
I held her in my arms.
The Mother.
The not-me.
Her skin wasn’t skin. It shimmered like glass smeared with memory. Her limbs were too long, too smooth, and her face—my face—was blank.
No eyes. No mouth. Just shape.
She didn’t breathe.
But she pulsed.
With power. With hunger. With familiarity.
And she was getting heavier.
Like she was drawing strength from my body—bone by bone.
Kade shouted something behind me.
I couldn’t hear it.
Because she was whispering.
“You were always mine.”
“I kept you warm.”
“Let go.”
I gritted my teeth.
And pushed her back.
She screamed.
Not with sound.
But with silence.
The chamber shattered.
We were thrown apart.
I hit the stone hard and rolled, choking on air that didn’t feel like air anymore. Light spun in circles. The Core
