POV: Nixie
Darkness swallowed me whole.
Not the kind that accompanies night or thick woods. It felt heavier-alive. It crawled around me like cold smoke, tugging me backward so fast the world blurred into silver and black streaks. My nails scraped dirt, moss, bark-anything I could grab. Nothing held.
“HUNTER!” I yelled, but my voice was strangled and torn away by the rushing wind.
I heard him-oh gods, I heard him-snarl, shifting mid-sprint, the bones cracking in a frantic plea as he chased after the shadow that ripped me away. “NIXIE!”
But he grew farther, fainter.
The shadow clenched against my ribs like clawed smoke, squeezing the air from my lungs. Inside, panic exploded.
“Let—me—go!”
A low, warped voice whispered by my ear so close it felt like it could freeze blood.
“You calle
