I walked back to where it all started—the battlefield where my worst nightmare unfolded, where everything I once knew was ripped apart. The place where a new version of me was born, not out of choice, but out of necessity.
The air was heavy with the scent of damp earth and faded blood. My steps were steady, but inside, I was crumbling. The memories hit me all at once, an unrelenting storm that refused to quiet.
Theo’s last moments replayed in my mind like a curse. The way he reached for me, his eyes filled with something stronger than fear—determination. He wasn’t just trying to survive; he was trying to get to me. But Luca’s men had dragged him back. I could still hear his voice, hoarse with desperation, calling my name.
Pain stabbed through my chest, sharp and unforgiving. I clenched
