Chapter 119

*Freya*

"Rafe..." I managed to whisper, my throat dry and raw. The sound was faint, but it sliced through the oppressive silence like a knife.

He looked up slowly, almost as if he couldn't dare to hope. His eyes were red-rimmed, his face a mask of anguish. The moment our gazes locked, something inside him seemed to snap.

"Freya?" His voice cracked. He stared at me, disbelief mingling with desperate hope.

"Yes," I confirmed, my weak smile growing stronger under his intense scrutiny. "I'm here."

"She's alive! She's alive!" Rafe's scream echoed off the walls, a sound filled with pure, unadulterated joy. He leapt to his feet and...