Miles’s POV
My eyes widened in shock as Daphne collapsed, her body hitting the ground with a sickening thud. A pool of blood spread beneath her, dark and ominous. No. No, this can’t be happening.
My hands trembled in terror as I dropped to my knees beside her. “Daphne! Please, Daphne, you can’t do this to me!” My voice broke, raw with desperation. I scooped her into my arms, cradling her fragile frame against me. Her body was limp, her skin deathly pale.
“Daphne, please,” I begged, my voice barely above a whisper. “Please, please, wake up.” Hot tears streamed down my face, blurring my vision. But she didn’t stir. She didn’t even flinch.
A cold dread wrapped around my chest, squeezing the air from my lungs. The memories came crashing in—my parents, their lifeless faces, the unbearable p
