Chapter 116: The Price of Power
last update2025-01-31 00:41:49

Aiden’s POV

I stare at the beast, the dark mass of hatred and torment that looms above us. It shifts and writhes, and in its monstrous eyes, I can see it—my own reflection, twisted and warped by the curse that runs through my blood. The very thing that’s brought us to this point. The thing I never wanted to face.

Mila stands beside me, her face pale and drawn, but she doesn’t move. She doesn’t pull away.

And yet, there’s something else between us now. Something that wasn’t there before.

The beast doesn’t speak, but I feel its presence. It knows. It knows that I’m the key.

I can feel the weight of the curse pulling at my soul, tightening its grip with every passing second. Mila looks up at me, her eyes brimming with tears. I want to reach for her, to hold her and pull her close, but I know—deep down, I know—that this is the end of the line.

“The curse,” I whisper, my voice rough. “It’s all tied to me. To my bloodline.”

Mila’s hand trembles in mine, but she doesn’t let go. “Aiden, no. Y
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