Chapter 1164
When they finally reached their shelter, the relief was fleeting. The tension clung to them, heavy and unshakable. Jude sank down onto a worn bench, his head in his hands, trying to still the pounding of his heart.
Sophie knelt in front of him, lifting his chin so their eyes met. "We’re still here," she said softly. "She hasn’t taken us yet."
"But she’s trying," Jude whispered. "Every hour, every breath. She’s wearing us down."
Lucy threw a small branch onto the fire, watching the sparks rise into the darkening sky. "Then we don’t give her what she wants. We stay together. We stay strong. We don’t listen when she calls."
"But what if one of us can’t resist?" Scarlet’s voice was small, fragile. She hugged her knees to her chest, eyes wide and glistening with tears. "What if one of us lets her in?"
"We won’t," Sophie said firmly. "We won’t let that happen."
The night crept in around them, the fire casting flickering shadows on their faces. They shared what little food they had, the simple act grounding them, reminding them of who they were, of what they were fighting for. Jude sat close to Sophie, feeling the steady rhythm of her breath, drawing strength from it. Lucy and Stella kept watch at the edge of the shelter, their blades never far from their hands.
But as the fire burned low, Jude felt it again, that presence, just beyond the light, waiting, watching. The island itself seemed to hum with it, the ground beneath them alive with something they couldn’t see, couldn’t name.
And then, just as his eyes began to drift closed, he heard her voice.