Lyra's POV
The creature snarled, crouching low as if preparing to pounce. Hope stirred violently within me, her growl reverberating through my chest. It wasn't just a restless growl this time—it was a demand, a fierce insistence to take control.
I took a shaky step forward, locking eyes with the beast. The air between us seemed to crackle, heavy with tension. A deep, guttural voice resonated in my head.
Let me out.
My breath hitched as the heat beneath my skin intensified. Hope had been silent for so long, her voice barely a whisper in my mind. But now, she roared, powerful and commanding.
The creature lunged.
Everything happened in a blur. One moment, I was standing there, my human body frozen in fear. The next, a fiery wave of energy tore through me, and I dropped to my knees, gasping as my vision darkened at the edges. My skin burned like fire, my bones felt like they were breaking apart and knitting themselves back together all at once.