Chapter 294
Xytriana led Jason to a secluded overlook, her crimson eyes glowing faintly in the dim moonlight. Below them, Elyra and Dain moved cautiously through the forest, their silhouettes bathed in silver light. Jason’s breath quickened as he spotted Elyra, her hair gleaming like a beacon.
“She’s drifting further from you,” Xytriana said, her tone laced with venomous persuasion. “But I can help you make her yours.”
Jason’s jaw tightened. “What do you want from me?”
Xytriana stepped closer, her presence both seductive and oppressive. “Their bond is tied to the Celestial Pact, an ancient power that resists anyone who tries to claim her. But that bond can be broken, Jason. If you’re willing to go further, to embrace what you’ve become, you could sever it—and she will have no choice but to see you as her protector.”
Jason’s expression faltered. “They’re not… related?”
Xytriana’s smile deepened, her amusement chilling. “No, Jason. But does that matter? Dain stands in your way, regardless. Do you care why, or do you care about winning her?”
Her words coiled around Jason like a snake, and after a tense pause, he nodded. “Tell me how to break them.”
Xytriana placed a hand on his shoulder, her nails digging into his skin. “You must draw them to you. Use her lingering doubts, her confusion, and when the time is right… strike where it hurts the most. You’ll have to destroy Dain. Only then will she see you as her salvation.”
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Meanwhile, Elyra and Dain pushed further into the forest, the tension between them palpable. Strange whispers filled the air, their words indecipherable but haunting.
Elyra shivered, the energy of the forest pressing against her. “I feel like something’s watching us. Someone…”
Dain moved closer, his protective instincts flaring. “We’ll be fine. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Elyra glanced at him, her golden eyes filled with unspoken emotion. “Dain, there’s something I need to say. Ever since we came back… I feel like the answers we’re looking for are right in front of us. But I’m scared—scared of what we might find.”
Dain stopped walking and turned to her. “You don’t have to do this alone. I’m with you, Elyra. Always.”
The sincerity in his voice made her heart race, and for a moment, the weight of the forest around them seemed to lift. But just as Elyra began to speak, a distant laugh—low and menacing—echoed through the trees.
Jason’s voice followed, laced with malice. “You can’t run forever, Elyra. I’m coming for you.”
Dain’s hands balled into fists as his orange eyes flared with fury. “He’s here,” he growled.
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