Madriod's POV

We ran through the forest, my feet barely touching the ground as my heart pounded in my chest. The glow of Elsie’s power was still visible in the distance, flickering like a candle fighting against the wind. Every step felt wrong, like I was running away from the one thing I was supposed to protect.

Mia was panting beside me, clutching her side as we stopped by an old oak tree. “Madriod,” she gasped, her voice shaking with desperation, “we can’t just leave her! I have to go back!”

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut, and I gritted my teeth, fighting the urge to...