POV RUBY
The bridge of the hunter was a cathedral of frozen time. Outside the glass, the subterranean river rushed by in a silent, obsidian torrent, but inside, the air was thick with the scent of ozone and the terrifying hum of a soul being rewritten.
I was on the floor, my knees bruising against the cold metal deck, looking into the eyes of the man I loved. But Nevan wasn’t there. The violet light in his pupils had stabilized into a flat, neon glow that held no warmth, no recognition, and—most terrifyingly—no obsession. The "Binary Soul" was no longer a conversation; it was a dictatorship.
"Nevan, please," I gasped, my hand clutching my stomach.
Every time I spoke, I felt a sharp, agonizing spike from the Heir. The child was silent now, its presence a cold weight in my center, but th
