Chapter 177

James's POV

The days passed in quiet moments shared between Aimee and me. She held my hand and whispered words of strength when I doubted myself, and her steady gaze kept me anchored, even when whispers of the past started to circulate again. I was finally settling, finally beginning to hope that the village might accept me back into its folds, especially with Aimee at my side. But then came that night—where everything shifted, and shadows of my past threatened to tear us apart.

As twilight settled in, Aimee and I were walking by the creek, her laughter echoing as I told her stories from my childhood. But a sudden chill crept into the air, and her laughter faded. She tilted her head, alert.

"Did you feel that?" she asked, scanning the trees around us.

I nodded, sensing a familiar, unsettling presence in the air. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up.

"Aimee, go back to the village," I murmured, taking a step forward, my senses heightened.