The entities bait

Kira's POV

"No" His voice was piercing, decisive.

I turned completely to face him, my heart racing. "Ryker—"

"No, Kira," he repeated, moving nearer, his gaze piercing into my own. "We aren't engaging in this discussion." You are not giving up on yourself.

I gritted my teeth, anger bubbling within me. "This is not only about me, Ryker. If I allow this thing to control me, it will be more terrible than dying. "I won't simply perish—it will use me to end everything."

He seized my arms, his hold strong yet not uncomfortable. "Then, we find an alternative method. Together."

I wanted to trust him. I hoped there was an escape from this that wouldn't result in my death. Yet beneath the surface, a part of me recognized the reality.

This being had waited for this moment for centuries. It had strategized, it had tracked, it had devoured. There was no simple escape from this situation.

And the most dreadful part?