bChapter /bb267 /b

    But then something inside me clicked.

    I didn’t need to overpower him with force; I needed to outsmart him. I focused on his

    emotions–his arrogance, his rage. I let myself tap into that, twisting it, feeding it back

    to him.

    I could feel it. His control slipped. The moment his eyes widened, I knew I had him.

    With everything I had, I whispered through gritted teeth, “Let me go.”

    There was a long pause, but then, with a look of pure disbelief, Lucas released his grip. My feet hit the ground with a thud, and I stumbled back, gasping for air, my throat raw.

    I could barely stand, but something deep within me–something darker and far more powerful than I had ever imagined–had awoken.

    Harmona watched me, a thin smile forming on her lips. “So, you’re not as helpless as I thought,” she murmured, eyes narrowing.

    But I wasn’t done. I couldn’t be. Not while they were still here, still trying to destroy everything I cared about.

    “Get ready,” I said, my voice shaky but resolute. “Because I’m not backing down this

    time.”

    I don’t waste a single moment. Without a second thought, I begin to chant, the ancient words flowing from my lips as if they were always there, buried deep within me, waiting for this very moment. My voice shakes, but I force the sound out, not letting fear take

    over.

    Beside me, several other voices rise, steady despite the chaos around us, their focus unwavering. But Lucas’s grip around my waist tightens, each finger digging into my skin, like he’s trying to prevent me frompleting the chant, from reaching the power I

    know I have inside me.

    9:18 Thu, Sep 4 B

    67

    The pain hits before bI /bcan process it. It starts slow, like a pull at the edges of my body, but soon it bes overwhelming–like gravity itself is reaching into my chest, pulling at everything within me. My organs, my heart, my very soul feel like they’re being ripped apart, stretched beyond what they were meant to endure. I gasp, barely able to catch my

    breath.

    I look around, eyes wide, desperate to see some sign that this will end, but all I see is the same tortured expression on everyone else’s faces. They’re all struggling, their bodies tense, fighting against something they can’t see but feel just as intensely. Panic creeps in, tightening my chest.

    They’re all going to die. We’re all going to die today.

    But even in that despair, something shifts in the air. There’s a sudden, sharp shift of energy, a whisper at first, a chorus of chants rising from across the room. It’s like an invisible wall had broken, the pressure lifting, the crushing weight loosening its grip on my insides. I look up, startled, as the room begins to glow–light blooming out of nowhere, casting shadows that twist and flicker.

    The chants grow louder, voices joined in a unified surge. For a moment, I almost forget

    the pain. I feel lighter, freer, as though the gravity is no longer threatening to tear me

    apart. It’s like the very room itself is breathing, and with each breath, the pressure that

    had nearly broken me starts to fade away.

    The air hums, vibrating with power, and just like that, the weight lifts, leaving me breathless but alive. Everyone else around me still looks strained, but there’s a glimmer of relief in their expressions, like they, too, feel the change. I don’t know how much longer this willst, but at this moment, as the chants echo and the light fills the room, I allow myself to believe that maybe we have a chance after all.

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