Selena’s body crumpled as the abyss tightened its hold. The last thing she saw before the shadows consumed her vision was Damian—his golden eyes wide with pain, his body sinking into the endless black void.
Then he was gone.
A ragged sob tore from her throat, but the abyss swallowed even that. Cold fingers of darkness slithered over her skin, creeping into the cracks of her mind, whispering, urging her to give in.
“Kneel.”
The queen’s voice was no longer a distant command but a presence inside her, threading through her thoughts like poisoned silk. The weight of it crushed her, pressing down on her shoulders, forcing her to bow beneath its strength.
Her body trembled.
Her knees scraped against the cold floor, but she refused—she refused—to submit.
Selena gritted her teeth, nails dig
