Chapter 279
Trapped within the cold stone walls of the ruin, Elyra paced like a caged wolf, her golden eyes darting to every shadow. Jason’s red-eyed glare followed her from the far side of the room, but she ignored him, focusing instead on the faint hum of energy emanating from the portal hidden somewhere within the ruin.
Her pendant pulsed lightly against her chest, a comforting rhythm that reminded her she was not powerless. Elyra stopped pacing and closed her eyes, reaching deep within herself for the connection she had only begun to understand.
Jason’s sneering voice cut through her focus. “What are you doing, Elyra? Trying to summon your boyfriend? He’s not coming.”
She turned to him, her silver hair catching the dim light like liquid moonlight. “I don’t need anyone to save me,” she said, her voice steady and defiant.
Jason’s expression darkened, his face twisting with a mixture of frustration and obsession. “You think you’re stronger than me? You don’t know what I’ve sacrificed—what I’ve become—for you.”
Elyra’s power flared, her pendant glowing brighter. “You sacrificed your humanity, Jason. And for what? To force someone to care about you? That’s not love—it’s cowardice.”
Her words hit him like a slap. Jason snarled and stepped closer, his shadow seeming to stretch unnaturally across the room. “You’ll regret saying that,” he growled, but there was a flicker of uncertainty in his gaze.
Elyra stood tall, her own energy pushing back against his encroaching presence. “I’ll never belong to you. And you’ll never break me.”
Jason slammed his fists into the wall, the stone cracking under the force. “You don’t get it, do you? I’m your only chance. No one else will ever understand you like I do!”
Elyra’s laugh was cold and sharp, cutting through the tension. “You’re right about one thing, Jason—I understand myself. And that’s why I’ll never need you.”
The air in the ruin grew heavy with power as Elyra drew strength from the portal’s energy. She felt it thrumming beneath her feet, coursing through her veins. Her pendant glowed fiercely, and her silver hair seemed almost alive with light.
Jason recoiled, his confidence shaken as the room filled with Elyra’s radiance. “What are you doing?” he demanded, shielding his eyes.
“Taking back my power,” she said, her voice firm and unyielding.
The ruin trembled faintly as Elyra’s connection to the portal deepened. She didn’t know how much longer she could hold it, but one thing was certain—she wasn’t waiting to be rescued.
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