Elena stepped into the guest room, closing the door behind her and leaning against it, as if by barring the entrance, she could somehow keep her emotions from following her inside. Every time she tried to come to terms with her situation, some new, horrifying truth emerged, making it even more unbearable. It wasn’t enough that she was being hunted by shadows and vampires—no, she also had to face the possibility that she herself could be the danger. That she could unleash some catastrophic, life-altering disaster.

And yet, despite the overwhelming dread that made her head spin and her stomach tie itself in knots, her heart still found a way to carve out space to ache—to yearn.

Elena couldn’t shake the intensity of Theo’s gaze from her mind. Was it desire that she saw burning in his eyes or was she simply projecting her own longing, mistaking his kindness for something more?

Sure, they had slept together but that night had been…complicated. She had been angry and hurt and so overwhelmed by the enormity of the revelations that had been made that all she had wanted was to disappear entirerly. To Theo’s credit, he had given her that. He had pulled her into a void so deep she hadn’t even known her own name but what happened between them beyond that she could scarcely more than guess. She had woken up next to him hours later feeling blissfully at peace. He had been kind and tender toward her but if he had felt more than obligation while they had been intimate, she didn’t know. Those memories were beyond her reach.

Elena let out a long, slow breath as she pushed herself away from the door, crossing the room to the small desk where she had left The Testament of Ashur. The ancient leather-bound book sat there, untouched, its pages promising answers she wasn’t sure she was ready for. But, the time for fear and indecisiveness, had long since passed. David and Rowen had made it clear: the longer this bond to the artifact remained, the more vulnerable she would become. They were right. She could feel it now—the quiet, insistent pull at the edges of her mind, like something was stirring just beneath her consciousness.

She couldn’t afford to wait.

With a determined breath, Elena picked up the book and settled into the chair, running her fingers over the cracked leather cover. David had given the book to her over a week ago and she had meant to read it sooner, but life had gotten in the way. Now, with the bond becoming stronger, she couldn’t afford to push it aside any longer.

She opened the book, the faint smell of aged parchment rising from its pages. Her eyes skimmed the words, but her thoughts kept wandering. Back to Theo. Back to the Watcher’s words. Back to the artifact. She shook her head, forcing herself to focus.

As she was leafing through, she came across a passage that stood out to her. It seemed to be talking about the artifact.

Of the shattered stone, few dare to speak, for it is said to hold the breath of the first light. A key, they whisper, to realms unseen, where the stars themselves do bow before the throne of the One. In its gleam lies the way to the gates long forgotten, where the endless reaches of the heavens may yet be touched.

Yet the stone is not what it was. Once whole, now broken, its light is dimmed, and what it reveals may no longer be what was promised.

Elena paused at the last line and read it again. what it reveals may no longer be what was promised. What does that mean?

Before she could finish her thoughts, she felt a cold chill creeping up her spine. Elena froze, her grip tightening around the edges of the book. The air around her felt heavier, as though something unseen had slipped into the space, watching, waiting. The sensation crawled along her skin, prickling at her senses, and the bond she had with the artifact seemed to hum in response, pulsing in a subtle, insistent rhythm.

Her heartbeat quickened and she fought the urge to run out of the room. Something felt like it was tugging gently at her consciousness, urging her to give in. She shook her head, trying to push the feeling away, but it lingered, whispering at the edges.

You are alone.

The thought came to her unbidden, like a cold breeze sneaking through the cracks, and it made her breath catch in her throat. She stood and paced the room, her fingers brushing over the edges of the desk, over the old, weathered pages of the book.

Elena pressed her hands to her temples, trying to still the thoughts. The sense of isolation that had been creeping in over the past few days tightened around her. A knot twisted in her stomach.

“No, I’m not alone,” she whispered but her words were hollow and it did not escape her attention that at this precise moment, she was in fact in an empty room, very much alone. The cold seemed to press deeper into her, reaching for her bones. Elena wrapped her arms around herself as she sat at the edge of the bed. Something tugged at her consciousness again more insistent. It felt like something was crawling into her.

They don’t want you.

Another unbidden thought. Elena sighed, running a hand through her hair. The overwhelming sense of isolation, the whispers at the edge of her mind—it was all becoming too much. She couldn't keep fighting her own thoughts like this.

Her body felt heavy with exhaustion. She had hardly slept in days, and it was starting to take a toll. Maybe she just needed rest. Just a few hours of sleep to clear her mind, to escape the relentless pull of the bond for a while.

Elena settled onto the bed, pulling the covers over her as if they could somehow protect her from the creeping sense of unease that clung to her. She closed her eyes, forcing her mind to quiet, focusing on her breath. In and out. Slow and steady.

The darkness behind her eyelids was a welcome relief, and slowly, her thoughts began to quiet. The whispers faded into the background, and the cold grip on her consciousness loosened, if only for a moment. Sleep took her quickly, pulling her under its comforting embrace.

In her dream, Elena found herself standing in a vast, desolate landscape. The sky above her was an endless black void, devoid of stars, and the ground beneath her feet felt cold, jagged, like broken stone. She looked around, but there was no sign of life. Only the eerie stillness of a place long abandoned.

Ahead of her, something shimmered—a faint light in the distance, pulsing in the darkness like a dying star. Instinctively, she took a step toward it, drawn by its weak glow. The closer she got, the stronger the pull became, until she was no longer walking but being dragged toward it by some unseen force.

As she neared the source of the light, she saw it clearly for the first time. It was the artifact—the shattered stone, just as she had seen it in her visions. Its broken pieces hovered in the air, held together by an invisible force, each fragment glowing faintly with a dim, otherworldly light.

Elena reached out to touch it, but before her fingers could make contact, a voice echoed through the void, low and cold.

You cannot control it.

The ground beneath her feet began to tremble, and the light from the artifact flickered, growing darker with every passing second. The stone began to crack further, its edges splintering as if it were about to shatter completely.

Elena’s heart raced. She stepped back, but it was too late. The artifact exploded in a blinding flash of light, and from its broken pieces, a shadow emerged. It was tall and formless, like a figure made of smoke, its presence suffocating. The air around her thickened, making it hard to breathe.

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"You are nothing. You are alone." The voice was louder now, harsher. The shadow loomed over her, its darkness seeping into her skin, its cold touch wrapping around her like a vice.

Elena tried to scream, but no sound came out. She was paralyzed, trapped in place as the shadow’s tendrils reached for her, wrapping around her throat, her wrists, her mind.

And then, as quickly as it had appeared, the shadow vanished, leaving behind only silence.

Elena jolted awake, gasping for breath. Her heart pounded against her ribs, and her skin was clammy with cold sweat. The room was still dark, but the oppressive weight she had felt in her dream lingered in the air around her.

She pressed a hand to her chest, trying to calm the frantic beating of her heart, but the fear from the vision wouldn’t leave her. It had felt so real—too real. And now, even as she sat in the quiet of her room, she could feel the bond pulsing, stronger than before.

Something had changed. The bond wasn’t just a distant presence anymore. It was inside her, growing stronger, digging deeper into her mind. And with it came the cold, inescapable realization: she wasn’t in control.

Elena’s breath came in short, panicked bursts. She clutched the sheets tightly, her knuckles white, as the whispers returned, louder now, more insistent.

You cannot resist.

Her pulse quickened, and the room seemed to close in around her. The bond was intensifying, pushing at the edges of her consciousness, trying to break through. She could feel it now, gnawing at her mind, filling her with dread.

She got out of bed and grabbed her phone and a jacket before heading out of the room. She needed to step outside, to feel the cool night air on her skin to feel anything that might drown out this insistent tugging on her mind.

The night shrouded the home in an eerie stillness that made the chill in the air intensify. Elena kept a close eye on the shadows as she walked towards the porch. David and Rowen had warned that the Noctrachs may intensify their search for her and she had no desire to be caught off guard once they found her.

A cold gust of wind temporarily quieted her thoughts as she stepped outside. The full moon shown brightly in the sky, casting an otherworldly glow on the grounds of the estate. A short distance from her, she noticed Theo walking on the garden path looking lost in thought. He must have sensed her presence because he looked up locking on to her with those dark piercing eyes that pulled her in like an ocean. She wondered briefly if that was one of the effects of the vampirism or if his eyes had always been able to do that.

They don’t want you.

The bond pulsed again and that voice tugged at her consciousness with such force that she nearly staggered. Whatever momentary relief she had felt by stepping outside was gone. Fear and dread seeped back into her bones. The darkness she had felt earlier was beginning to pull her under. Her pulse quickened as she recognized the familiar sensation of someone or something trying to take over.

Theo was at her side now, his features etched with concern.

“Elena? Are you okay?”

She shook her head, unable to speak, and tried to breathe through the panic that was wrapping around her. Theo placed a cautious hand on her shoulder, and the contact briefly grounded her. The dark pull on her mind receded slightly, and she found her voice again.

“I—I think something’s in my head,” she said, rubbing her temples.

“What do you mean?” His look of concern deepened.

“I don’t know. It just feels like something is talking to me in my mind, and it’s… pulling at me.” As if on cue, she felt another tug, and her vision darkened.

You are nothing. You are alone.

Panic flooded through her.

“Theo, it’s—it’s trying to take over!” she said, her voice an urgent whisper.

Understanding dawned on his face, and Theo’s voice became calm and firm.

“Elena, I need you to listen to me. You can fight this, but you need to ground yourself.”

“What?” she said, her voice sounding far away even to herself.

“Find a strong memory or emotion that is wholly yours and use it as an anchor. Whatever it is that’s trying to take over can’t pull you under if you’re grounded to something solid.”

Elena blinked, her mind barely processing Theo’s words. The pull was growing stronger, drowning out everything but the voice in her head. It was relentless, a dark presence gnawing at the edges of her consciousness, whispering insidious thoughts she couldn’t push away.

You are nothing. You are alone, it insisted.

“I... I can’t,” she stammered, her breath coming in short, ragged bursts. Her hands pressed against her temples, trying to block out the voice, but it was no use. The darkness kept creeping in, pulling her under like a tide.

Theo stepped in front of her, his hand gently cupping her face now, forcing her to look at him. His eyes, intense and unwavering, locked onto hers, grounding her even as she teetered on the edge of losing control.

“You can,” Theo said, his voice steady, though there was an urgency behind it. “Listen to me, Elena. You need to find something in your mind, something that’s real—something that belongs to you and only you.”

Elena’s heart raced. She tried to do as he said, but every memory felt distant, blurred by the invasive whispers growing louder in her mind.

Nothing is yours. You are weak. Alone.

“I can’t,” she whispered again, shaking her head frantically as the panic closed in on her. Her vision blurred, the world around her dimming as the bond’s pull tightened its grip. She was losing herself, slipping away into the darkness.

“Elena,” Theo’s voice cut through the fog, low and commanding. “Trust me.”

She saw his eyes darken, and before she could respond, she felt it—a subtle shift, like a gentle push into her mind. Theo. He was there, slipping into her thoughts like a quiet presence.

Elena gasped, her heart skipping a beat as she realized what he was doing. Even through the fear, she felt a different sort of panic rising inside her, memories of the night before coming to the forefront of her mind. The memory of it felt like too much—it was too close, too raw. His presence in her mind was intimate in a way that made her chest tighten, a reminder of how deeply he could reach into her, how much control he could take if he wanted.

For a moment, she wanted to resist, to tell him to stop, but she couldn’t. She couldn’t fight this on her own.

She felt him searching, gently guiding her toward a memory she couldn’t reach on her own. And then, there it was—a flicker of light in the darkness. She could see it now, clearer than before: the smell of rain on a warm day, her brother David laughing as they splashed through puddles together. A simple memory, but one that was hers. Untouched by the bond. Untouched by the darkness.

Theo anchored the memory in her mind, amplifying its presence until the pull of the bond began to fade. The whispers quieted, receding into the background like a distant echo. Slowly, the suffocating pressure lifted. She was back—back in control.

Elena gasped for breath as she felt her mind resurface. Theo stood back, arms to his side searching her face for confirmation that she was okay. She tried to speak but when she did only sobs broke through the silence. She couldn’t stop the tears, the wave of emotion crashing over her as the weight of what had nearly happened—the bond pulling her under—settled in. Theo’s presence had saved her, but the fear and vulnerability were still raw, like an open wound she couldn’t close.

Theo steped closer, his hand resting lightly on her shoulder now. His touch was steady, but careful, as if he wasn’t sure whether to offer more comfort or to give her space. The weight of his silence was palpable, filled with the unspoken tension between them. Neither of them moved.

For a long while, they stood like that—Elena trembling as she tried to pull herself back together, and Theo watching her, his expression unreadable. The world seemed to narrow to just the two of them, the cool night air brushing against her skin as the quiet stretched.

The tears slowed, but the ache remained. Elena could feel the fragility of the moment, the weight of what had just passed between them. But there was something else too, something that settled heavily in her chest. She couldn’t keep depending on him like this. She couldn’t rely on Theo to pull her out when the bond tried to take over. She needed more than comfort—she needed control.

They stood together in silence for what felt like an eternity, the only sound the soft rustling of the trees in the distance. Theo’s hand lingered on her shoulder, his presence steady, grounding her in the quiet, but it wasn’t enough. It couldn’t be enough. Not anymore.

Elena took a shaky breath, her eyes still stinging from the tears, and looked up at Theo. His gaze met hers, his expression softer now, though still guarded, as if he was waiting for her to speak—waiting for her to make the first move.

“I can’t keep doing this,” she whispered, her voice rough and worn from crying. “I can’t keep relying on you to save me every time.”

Theo’s expression tightened, a flicker of something pained crossing his face. “Elena, I will always be here for you,” he said, his voice low.

She shook her head gently. “No, Theo, you won’t.” She softened her tone, trying to ease the blow. “I know you want to be, but the truth is... you can’t always be there for me.”

Theo closed his eyes for a moment, sighing quietly. She could see the struggle in him and yet he didn’t argue. He knew she was right.

The silence stretched between them, heavy. Finally, Elena spoke again, her voice quieter but firm with resolve.

“Theo,” she said, the words tentative, “I want you to teach me how to fight compulsion. I need to learn how to do this on my own.”

Theo’s body tensed, and for a moment, she thought he might protest. His gaze flicked over her face, searching, conflicted. Then, after a pause, he gave a small, reluctant nod. “Very well, just give me a few nights.” he said, though his voice was laced with hesitation.

“Thank you” She said gently then walked back into the house. She could feel Theo’s eyes on her as she went.