“Why don’t you kill me now, Natalie? Now that you possess all the power, all the strength to do whatever you please,” Cora asked, her voice steady, eyes locked with Natalie’s. There was no fear in her gaze, no hesitation. It was a challenge. A dare.

Natalie stood there, her heart pounding, her breath shallow. Cora’s words hit harder than any weapon, but it was the unwavering defiance in her eyes that made Natalie falter. Cora was no longer the girl she had once known. She was something else now—something far darker, far more dangerous. And yet, she wasn’t afraid. Not of dying. Not of anything.

The silence stretched between...