Semua Bab Bound by Desire: Bab 11 - Bab 14

The sun was starting to dip low, my hands tucked into the sleeves of Jason’s old hoodie. The one I used to steal back when things were normal. Safe. Dad stood beside me, his arms crossed tightly over his chest like he was trying to hold himself together. “I have to go,” I said quietly. “I know,” Dad replied, just as quiet. Jason opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He looked so much older than he used to—like the weight of everything had aged him overnight. I swallowed hard. “Tell Calla I love her, okay? That I’m sorry I didn’t get to see her. I just… I didn’t want her to see me like this.” Jason nodded, brushing a tear off his cheek. “She misses you. But I’ll tell her.” “And you—both of you—I love you. So much.” Dad stepped forward and pulled me into a tight hug, one hand cradling the back of my head like he used to when I was little. “We love you too, sweetheart. We’re proud of you. No matter what.” Jason wrapped his arms around both of us. Finally, I pulled

The house felt different now. Not safer exactly… just less hostile. Damien’s warning to his followers had kept them from lunging at me, but the stares didn’t stop. Wherever I walked, I could feel the weight of eyes on me—curious, cold, disapproving. I kept my head up and moved like I belonged, even though I didn’t feel it yet. I wandered further than usual that day. The halls stretched on endlessly, a maze of old doors and creaking floorboards. The silence was thick—until it wasn’t. I stopped mid-step, head turning toward a door down the corridor. Faint, muffled sounds—like a grunt. A shift. The scrape of metal or something solid. I glanced around quickly. No one in sight. Without thinking, I moved toward the door, pressing my ear to it. More movement inside. I eased the door open. The light inside was dim, a single bulb flickering from the ceiling. The room was small and bare, except for one thing—someone tied to a chair in the middle, blood trailing down his arms and drippin