Chapter 1172

She moved with slow grace, as if the world bent to her pace, as if time itself answered to her now. The light within her pulsed softly, casting her features in shifting silver. Her eyes met Jude's across the water, and for a heartbeat he saw her, , truly, saw her, the woman who had loved him, who had laughed with him, who had once sworn to stand beside him through everything.

But the light deepened, swallowing that glimpse, and the creature that wore Rose's face smiled with a hunger that chilled him to his core.

"You followed," she said, her voice soft and terrible, as beautiful and deadly as the storm. "I knew you would. I knew you couldn't leave me behind."

Jude swallowed, his throat dry. "We came to bring you back. Rose, whatever this is, fight it. Come back to us."

She tilted her head, the smile never faltering. "I , am, back. This is who I was meant to be. You can be part of it too. All of you. We can be , whole., "