Chapter 36: A Bond in Shadows
Aria's POV
Exhaustion pulled me into the depths of slumber as soon as I closed my eyes. However, I was standing in a curiously familiar but oddly foreign area in lieu of the cozy darkness. I was surrounded by an unending forest with old and tall trees, their branches entwined like webs over my head. Tension permeated the air, making it difficult for me to breathe.
"Where am I?" I said, but the words seemed to fade into the deafening quiet.
The answer was an abrupt change in the environment rather than a spoken response. I turned abruptly as a wave went through the woods, and I realized I wasn't alone.
Then I caught sight of him.
A few steps away, Darius stood with his hands balled into fists and his massive shoulders slumped. A look of raw, unguarded ago
