Aiden’s POVThe air was still, unnaturally quiet. The world we had fought to protect stood on the precipice of something new, yet it felt fragile, like a dream that could shatter with a single wrong step. Mila sat on a stone ledge overlooking the remnants of the battlefield. Her back was to me, her shoulders tense as if she was bracing for another blow.“Mila,” I called softly, stepping closer.She didn’t turn, her voice heavy with exhaustion. “Did we really win, Aiden? Or did we just survive?”The question hit me like a punch to the gut. After everything we had been through—facing the entity, battling our own fears, sacrificing the perfect illusions we were offered—I wanted to believe it was over. But the lingering tension in her voice told me otherwise.I crouched beside her, my hand brushing against hers. “We won because we’re still here. Together.”Her lips curved into a faint, bitter smile. “Together… but at what cost?”I didn’t have an answer. The scars of our journey were more

Mila’s POV“Aiden, you don’t understand,” I said, my voice trembling as I paced the clearing. The air was thick with tension, and the faint hum of the entity’s remnants vibrated under my skin like a second heartbeat. “This isn’t just some burden I can shrug off. It’s me. It’s always been me.”“I do understand,” Aiden shot back, his tone sharp with frustration. He stood with his arms crossed, his dark eyes blazing. “What I don’t understand is why you think you have to face this alone. We’ve fought through hell together, Mila. Don’t push me away now.”I stopped, turning to face him. The sight of him, his face drawn with worry, made my chest ache. “And what happens if I lose myself to this power?” I whispered. “What happens when I’m no longer the person you fell in love with?”“You’re still you,” he said fiercely, stepping closer. “The power doesn’t define you. You define it.”“But what if I can’t control it?” I asked, my voice breaking. “What if it consumes me?”“That’s why I’m here,” h

Mila’s POVThe silence that follows the darkness is suffocating. It presses against me, a weight so thick that I can barely breathe. My eyes snap open, but I can see nothing—only the shadows closing in around me. Aiden… Where is Aiden?I scramble to my feet, panic surging through my veins as I call his name, my voice trembling.“Aiden?!”No response. Just the sound of my own breath, too loud in the stillness.Then, I hear it.A whisper.“Mila…”It’s a voice I don’t recognize, cold and distant. I spin around, but there’s no one there. The air is thick with a suffocating presence, and the ground beneath me seems to shift and twist, as if the world itself is changing.I take a step forward, my senses on high alert. This isn’t real. This can’t be real. But I know, deep down, that it is. The entity is toying with me, warping reality, pulling me into its web.“Aiden!” I call again, my heart racing. “Where are you?”The air grows colder. My breath catches in my throat as the shadows stretch,

Mila’s POVThe void is chaos—a maelstrom of shadows and light as the entity’s power rages around us. Aiden stands in front of me, his body tense, shielding me from Kai’s unrelenting gaze. The betrayal, the weight of everything we’ve faced, hangs heavy in the air. I can feel it in every strained breath, every unspoken word between us.Kai’s laughter cuts through the storm, cold and sharp. “Look at you two, clinging to each other like it will save you. It’s pathetic, really. Love is nothing more than a chain, and I’m about to break it.”“You’re wrong,” Aiden growls, his voice steady, though I can feel the fury bubbling just beneath the surface. “Love is the only thing stronger than your darkness. And you’re about to find out just how strong it is.”Kai tilts his head, his smile twisted with malice. “Big words, Aiden. But words mean nothing here. Power does. And I hold all the power.”The shadows around us shift, coiling like living serpents. I can feel their cold touch against my skin,

Mila’s POV"Aiden, please… try to remember."I kneel before him, my hands trembling as they clutch his. His gaze, once so warm and full of love, is now distant, almost hollow. He pulls his hands back slowly, and the movement feels like a dagger twisting in my chest."I'm sorry," he murmurs, his voice low and uncertain. "I don’t know who you think I am, but… I’m not him."I flinch as if he’s slapped me. "You are. You’re Aiden. You’re mine."He looks away, his jaw tightening. "I don’t feel… anything. I don’t even know myself right now, Mila."My heart feels like it’s cracking, splitting under the weight of his words. "You’re in there," I insist, my voice trembling. "I can see it. I can feel it. You’re just buried under all of this… this darkness. But I won’t stop until I bring you back to me."Aiden stands abruptly, his shoulders rigid. "You’re chasing a ghost," he says, his tone colder now. "Maybe it’s time to let me go.""No!" I snap, rising to my feet. Anger flares in me, burning thr