Freya's POV
The whisper echoed in my mind like a curse.
"If you leave, someone you love will die."
I stood frozen, my heartbeat thundering in my ears. The entity's shadowy form shifted around me, watching, waiting.
I inhaled deeply. "You're lying," I forced out, my voice hoarse.
The shadows curled in amusement. "Am I?"
Finnick, Marcus, and Aurora were among the images that flickered in the darkness. Their faces pallid, their bodies dead. My throat tightened with each breath.
No.
This was just another trick. Another way to keep me trapped here.
But what if it wasn't?
I clenched my fists, frustration and fear twisting inside me. I was running out of time. I could feel it, like an invisible force pulling me in opposite directions.
"I won't let you control me," I muttered.
The thing circled me carefully. "I do not need to control you, Freya. You are already tied to the artifact. It is a part of you."