The Seeds of Rebellion

It's hard to describe what it feels like to live in constant tension, a thread pulled so taut it threatens to snap at any moment. Tessa's presence suffocates everything—every room, every conversation, every fleeting thought. She looms over us, a queen in her icy castle, her telekinesis the scepter she wields to control everyone under her reign.

And yet, even in the depths of this nightmare, I refuse to surrender.

I found Claire where I always knew she'd be—hidden away in one of the mansion's disused rooms. The walls were cracked with frost, the air frigid, but she sat on the floor, her back against the wall, staring blankly ahead. She looked small, diminished in a way that felt wrong. This wasn't the Claire I knew.

"Claire," I said softly, stepping into the room.

Her eyes flicked to me, the spark I'd always admired dulled by exhaustion and shame. "Daniel," she murmured, her voice barely audible.