LILA’S POVPain.It wasn’t just mine.It was theirs.Dozens of voices screaming through me at once, their fear clawing into my chest, their agony tearing through my mind like something alive.And I couldn’t shut it off.“Lila, let go!”Nathan’s voice sounded distant, like it was coming from the other side of water.I shook my head violently.“I can’t”Because if I didThey would fall.I felt them slipping already.The corrupted ones.Their resistance weakening.Their minds fracturing.And Ryker He was still there.Still watching.Still smiling.“You’re stronger than this,” he murmured inside the connection. “But not strong enough.”My vision blurred.I dropped to my knees, fingers digging into the earth as if I could anchor myself to something real.“Lila!”Nathan’s arms wrapped around me, steady, warm, grounding.But even thatEven himFelt like it was slipping away.“Focus on me,” he said urgently. “Not them. Not him. Me.”I tried.God, I tried.But every time I pulled backThe scr
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