Lucidity's Fleeting Gift, Madness's Cruel Return

"Mom?" My voice trembled as I knelt beside her. For a moment, I'd seen it—a flash of something real in her eyes. Not the paranoid ramblings that had defined her existence since I was a child, but actual clarity.

"Hazel, my sweet girl." Clara reached out, her hand trembling as it cupped my cheek. Her eyes—so much like mine—were suddenly sharp, focused. "Listen to me carefully. We don't have much time."

Behind me, I felt my bonds shifting uneasily. I glanced back at them, my heart squeezing at the sight of their concerned faces. Kaelen stood slightly apart, his expression guarded but attentive.

"I'm listening, Mom," I whispered, turning back to her.

Clara's fingers tightened on my face. "The name—the name you need to know—is Magnus Sterling."

My blood turned to ice in my veins. "Magnus Sterling?" I repeated, unable to hide my shock.

She nodded urgently. "He's the one who threatened to take you on your eighteenth birthday. I've been protecting you from him all these years."