Chapter 55

• The man’s smile returned, this time more sinister. “I’m not here to fight,” he said, his voice softening, almost coaxing. “I’m here to offer you a choice, Elara. A choice that could change everything. You can unlock the curse, break the chains that bind us all, and in return, I will offer you something that will give you the power you seek. Something that will make you unstoppable.”
• Elara frowned. She didn’t trust him—not for a second. His words were too tempting, too dangerous. Power, freedom, a way to break the chains that bound them... It sounded like the kind of promise that could destroy everything they had fought for.
• “What kind of power?” she asked, her voice steady as she tried to mask the uncertainty she felt. “What would I have to do to unlock this curse?”