Alysse’s POV
Something was wrong.
Terribly wrong.
I had just settled near the campfire they prepared for me, the faint warmth barely touching the storm building inside my chest.
At first, I thought it was exhaustion from the third trial.
But then—
It hit.
I gasped sharply, my hand flying to my chest as a violent surge of energy tore through me.
Not one.
Two.
Two different pulls.
Two different pains.
“Sebastian…” I whispered.
His presence—his bond—felt… distant.
Colder.
Not gone.
But changing.
Corrupting.
My breathing became uneven as flashes filled my mind—
Sebastian standing among unfamiliar wolves.
His eyes… hardened.
His aura… darker.
“No…” I shook my head. “What are you doing…”
This wasn’t him.
Or maybe—
It was a version of him shaped by pain… just like before.
