"Strength isn’t measured by power; it’s defined by how you stand when everything is taken away."
The moment the curse struck, it was as if the air had been pulled from my lungs. The raw energy that had always hummed beneath my skin vanished, leaving an aching void in its place. I stumbled, my knees buckling beneath me as a sharp pain lanced through my chest.
Aeron stood before me, his expression a twisted blend of triumph and mockery. His hands still crackled with the remnants of his spell, the air around him shimmering with dark energy. “How does it feel, little wolf?” he asked, his voice smooth and venomous. “To be nothing but human?”
I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to stand despite the dizziness that threatened to pull me under. “I’m still more than you’ll ever be,” I spat, though
