Mark

- Alexei Volkov:

I watched the witch closely, my heart thumping louder in my chest.

The air was thick with tension as her words sank in, the weight of what she was saying pressing on my shoulders.

"It's time to start," she said, her voice almost melodic yet full of something darker. "The bond between you and Damon must be broken."

Her gaze shifted toward me, and she held out her hand, revealing a delicate, shimmering string that seemed to float just above her palm.

The string glowed faintly, pulsing as if it were alive, its light swirling with an unnatural energy.

I felt a shiver crawl down my spine, an instinctive part of me recognizing that this was no simple thing.

The string—my bond with Damon.

I swallowed hard as she spoke again, her words laced with finality.