The cave was cold, the air thick with the damp scent of moss and earth. Claire’s back slammed against the rough stone wall as Ethan’s iron grip pinned her there. His usually warm, amber eyes glowed with a strange, unnatural light—a blue so cold it seemed to pierce her soul.
“Ethan,” Claire gasped, struggling against his unyielding strength. “This isn’t you.”
His lips curled into a chilling smirk, one that didn’t belong to the man she knew. “You don’t get it, do you, Claire? The weakness is gone. The hesitation is gone. I’m finally free.”
“Free?” she choked, her heart pounding with both fear and anger. “You’re not free. You’re a puppet, and this isn’t who you are.”
The flicker of hesitation she hoped for didn’t come. Instead, his grip tightened. “You think you know me so well?” he growl
