Unbound Fury

(Chapter 118:Mira's Pov)

My grip on the reins as the wind howled around us, cold and biting. The path ahead was shrouded in mist, the thick forest twisted with gnarled branches that seemed to stretch like claws. Beside me, Selene moved with practiced ease, her face shadowed beneath her hood, but I could still see the tension in her jaw.

"We're close," she said quietly, her voice low but sharp. "The witch's dwelling lies beyond the veil."

I nodded, my heart thudding against my ribs. We had left under the cover of night, slipping away while the others prepared for the inevitable battle against Alaric. Every step brought us closer to our only hope—breaking the dark bond that shackled me to Lillian.

Without severing it, I would always be vulnerable to her manipulation. A pawn.

And I refused to be anyone's pawn.