“Ethan, you can’t do this!” Aria’s voice trembled, her fingers clutching my sleeve. Her stormy eyes, wide with desperation, searched my face for something—anything—that would assure her I hadn’t completely lost my mind.
I cupped her face with my hands, the warmth of her skin anchoring me to the only thing that still made sense in this twisted reality. “It’s the only way,” I whispered.
“No. We’ll find another option. Together.” She shook her head, her hair falling over her shoulders like a dark veil. “There’s always another way.”
Not this time. The weight of my choice sat heavy on my chest. The cursed bloodline that haunted her—the one threatening to claim her life—had grown more relentless. The curse wasn’t just a shadow anymore. It had taken on a life of its own, weaving dark tendrils
