All Chapters of Forbidden never felt this good : Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

The flames roared around her throne, but she remained unnervingly calm, a goddess of fire and shadow, untouchable and terrifying. My heart pounded in my chest like a war drum. Sweat dripped down my temples, stinging my eyes, but I couldn’t afford to blink. Not now. Not ever.Elliot’s hand pressed firmly against my back, grounding me. “Stay with me,” he murmured, his voice low but commanding. “We can get through this together.”I swallowed, the flash drive burning against my palm. The information it carried every secret, every revelation was now not just a tool but a lifeline. I could feel its weight, the moral and literal responsibility pressing down like a physical force. One wrong move, one hesitation, and it could all end here.Marcus crouched near the edge of the chamber, scanning the fiery arena with cold precision. His calculated calm contrasted sharply with the chaos around us, a reminder that logic could coexist with fear but only if we trusted it completely.Liam stayed besid

The floor beneath us shuddered violently as the section collapsed, revealing the pit below. Heat and shadows mingled in a swirling vortex, twisting like smoke and fire, as though the ground itself had been hollowed out by her design. My stomach dropped. I could see the faint glimmer of molten edges and shifting forms within the abyss, shapes moving like living, sentient shadows.Elliot grabbed my arm instinctively. “Don’t look down,” he warned, his jaw tight. “It’s meant to intimidate, to paralyze. Step carefully, trust the path, trust us.”I nodded, my throat tight. The flash drive burned against my palm like a lifeline, the weight reminding me of everything at stake. Marcus crouched low, scanning the collapsing platform, calculating angles, trajectories, the minimal movements we could make to avoid falling. Liam’s presence at my side was grounding, a steady anchor amidst the chaos. My sister’s mate was a living reminder that survival was not just about intellect but about unity.The

The three glowing words, Lies… Truth… Desire, pulsed ominously on the far wall. My chest tightened as I realized this was not just a choice; it was a crucible of morality, emotion, and instinct. The shadows had tested our loyalty, our courage, our trust, but now, the very essence of who we were would be questioned.Elliot’s hand found mine again, his dark eyes locking with mine. “We have to think carefully,” he murmured. “Not just about survival… about what defines us. What we value. What we refuse to compromise.”Marcus crouched low, analyzing the glowing panels. “Each path is more than a physical route, it’s symbolic. Lies… will tempt selfishness, betrayal. Truth… demands honesty, courage, integrity. Desire… is temptation incarnate, calling on impulses and passions that could destroy us if we succumb.”Liam, my sister’s mate, exhaled and stepped closer, protective and alert. “Whatever we choose, we stay together. No hesitations. No betrayals. One step at a time.”I swallowed hard, m

The key burned against my palm, heavy with significance, as though it contained the weight of every choice we had made, every fear we had conquered, and every temptation we had resisted. The chamber’s walls quivered, reshaping themselves, enclosing us in a new space dark, narrow, and oppressive. Shadows crept along the edges, curling like smoke, whispering our deepest insecurities.Elliot’s hand remained clasped with mine, his dark eyes scanning the twisting walls. “This isn’t over,” he murmured. “The gate was only the first trial. Now… the true temptation begins. It’s personal, emotional… and far more dangerous than anything we’ve faced.”Marcus crouched low, his sharp eyes analyzing every shifting surface. “The patterns indicate a psychological trap. It will isolate us individually, exploit weaknesses, and attempt to fracture the unity we’ve fought so hard to preserve. We cannot falter. Not even for a second.”Liam exhaled, fists clenched. My sister’s mate radiated a protective ener

The darkness didn’t lift all at once.It peeled back slowly, like someone dragging a blade through the black, revealing fragments of the chamber in thin slashes of silver light. My arms were still wrapped around Elliot, my fingers clenched into his shirt as if letting go would make him disappear again.He was solid. Warm. Real.That mattered more than anything.“Breathe,” he murmured quietly, his forehead resting against mine. “You’re safe. For now.”For now.That phrase had become the anthem of my life.I pulled back slightly, forcing myself to look around. The chamber we stood in wasn’t the same one we’d fallen from. This place was narrower, colder. The walls were smooth stone etched with symbols I didn’t recognize, and the air felt heavy like it carried memory, regret, and old blood.Marcus leaned against the wall to my left, one hand pressed to his ribs, eyes sharp despite the exhaustion etched into his face. “That separation wasn’t random,” he said. “She was measuring you.”“Me?”