After what felt like an eternity, her eyes rolled white from lack of air, only for Soren to suddenly release his grip.
Jolie collapsed to her knees, gulping down air in ragged, desperate breaths.
But Soren only laughed, a sound so icy that it froze her blood.
"Death would be too kind for you," he spat. "You will suffer a thousand times what Elara endured."
The color drained from Jolie's face. She trembled violently on the floor, yet still clawed at his ankles, leaving bloody gouges in the floorboards.
"Soren, it was all me!" she cried in a voice raw from panic. "Take your revenge on me alone. They are innocent! Please, I will go to the Forbidden Zone myself. I will atone for Elara and for her baby!"
With a final, shuddering breath, she squeezed her eyes shut and plunged through the w
