Asher’s POV
I jolted awake, my eyes snapping open as I shot up—only for a sharp, searing pain to tear through my body. It kept me from fully standing. My limbs trembled under my weight, each movement a reminder of the beating I couldn’t even remember taking.
My gaze darted around. Trees. Dirt. Silence. I was in the forest. Alone.
Panic surged. What happened? My memory was blank—then, suddenly, a sharp headache hit. I squeezed my eyes shut, and images burst into my mind. The fight. Zachary. His attack. That strange substance he poured on me… how it left me completely paralyzed. And his laughter—it echoed in my skull, taunting, haunting.
I forced myself upright despite the agony lacing through every joint. My legs wobbled. My breath hitched. I shoved my hair back from my face with a shak
