Chapter 276
The air grew colder as Elyra and Dain pressed deeper into the forest. A sinister stillness enveloped the trees, and every shadow seemed alive. Elyra’s grief dulled her senses, leaving her steps sluggish and her focus fractured.
“We should rest soon,” Dain suggested, glancing at the fading sunlight.
Elyra nodded absently, her mind elsewhere. “I’ll find some water,” she mumbled, wandering toward the sound of a trickling stream.
As she knelt by the stream to fill a flask, a hand shot out from the shadows, grabbing her wrist in an iron grip.
“Elyra,” a guttural voice rasped, and she froze in terror.
Jason stepped into view, his form more monstrous than ever. His skin shimmered with a dark, unnatural sheen, and his eyes burned with a fiery red glow. “You’re mine,” he growled, yanking her to her feet.
“Let me go!” Elyra cried, struggling against his grip. Her pendant flared briefly, sending a pulse of energy that forced Jason to step back.
He snarled, tightening his hold. “No one else deserves you. Not Dain, not anyone. You’re mine, Elyra. You always have been.”
Dain appeared from the treeline, his eyes blazing with fury. “Get away from her!” he roared, charging at Jason.
Jason met him with unnatural strength, their clash echoing through the forest. Dain landed a solid punch, but Jason barely flinched, his obsession fueling his power. “You’re nothing,” Jason spat, slamming Dain into a tree.
Elyra screamed, her powers flaring uncontrollably. Light surged from her hands, but Jason’s grip on her didn’t waver. “Stop fighting me!” he shouted, dragging her toward a faint glow in the distance.
“The portal,” Elyra realized, her heart racing.
Jason’s voice softened, dripping with twisted affection. “I’ll take you home, Elyra. Where you belong. With me.”
Elyra’s struggles grew frantic as she glimpsed the glowing rift ahead. Dain, though bloodied and bruised, forced himself to his feet. “I’m not letting you take her!” he bellowed, lunging at Jason with a ferocity born of desperation.
The two collided again, their fight primal and brutal. Elyra fell to her knees, her pendant glowing brighter as her emotions surged. Her voice broke through the chaos: “Dain!”
Jason struck Dain down once more and reached for Elyra. “You’re mine,” he repeated, his tone maddeningly certain.
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