ELLEN
The moon hung high in the sky, its pale light casting long shadows over the dense forest clearing. I stood outside, trembling, the cool night air biting through my thin jacket. But it wasn’t the cold that made my hands shake or my breaths come shallow and quick.
It was the events of the day. It was Valerie.
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get her face out of my mind—the way she had smirked at me as Chris carried her to the hospital. It wasn’t just a smirk; it was a declaration. It was a chilling reminder that she was still standing, that I had failed. The rogue should have ripped her apart, or at least forced her powers to erupt in a spectacle that no one could ignore. But instead, there she was, alive and smirking.
The memory sent a shiver racing down my spine. I wrapped
