CHAPTER 13

Elena's brow furrowed, her grip on her son tightening instinctively. "Our kind?" she echoed, her voice laced with a mixture of trepidation and curiosity.

Damien nodded, his expression grave. "We are not like the others, Elena," he affirmed. "We are something more, something ancient and powerful beyond measure."

A tremor ran through Elena's body, her heart thundering in her chest. Powerful? Ancient? The implications were staggering, threatening to upend everything she had ever known, every belief she had held dear.

"Long ago," Damien continued, his voice taking on a reverent tone, "our ancestors were revered as gods, beings capable of wielding powers that would be considered miraculous by...