Chapter 117: The Hunger Begins
The first time Bella felt it, she thought she was imagining it.
A whisper.
A tug.
A slow, creeping ache beneath her ribs, curling in her stomach like hunger but… different.
More than hunger.
Worse than hunger.
A need.
A craving.
She gripped the sheets beneath her, her breath sharp, uneven.
Her mouth was dry. Her heart was pounding.
Dante was still watching her, his body tense, unreadable.
"Talk to me, Bella."
She squeezed her eyes shut.
"I—"
The words caught in her throat.
Because how did she explain this?
That something was changing inside her.
That she could feel the Hollow One waking, stretching, weaving itself into her bones.
That it wasn't just marking her anymore.
It was becoming her.
Bella's fingers curled into her palms, her body shaking.
"Dante," she whispered. *"I think I'm losing myself."