The sun had barely risen the next day when Lily found herself once again at the edge of the Blackwood Forest, her thoughts heavy with the events of the previous night. She could still feel the heat of Eric’s touch on her skin, the warmth of his embrace, and the raw, unspoken promise in his words. But alongside that comfort, there was the ever-present shadow of the unknown—of the power inside her, the danger that seemed to be closing in from every direction.
Lily stood at the edge of the forest, her eyes scanning the familiar trees, searching for answers she wasn’t sure she was ready to find. The mysterious woman’s warning echoed in her mind:
“You can’t hide from who you are forever.”*
The question gnawed at her, tugging at her thoughts. Who was she really? She had spent her entire life
