**James's POV**
The darkness clung to me like a second skin, suffocating and relentless. Every time I moved, I felt the weight of it — Emily's curse, the twisted energy trying to tear me apart from the inside. My body trembled with the force of it, struggling to hold back the beast I had fought so long to control. I could feel the curse digging deeper, trying to reshape me into something monstrous.
And then there was Emily, standing there with that sadistic smile on her face. She fed on my torment, her laughter echoing through the clearing as if she had already won.
"I can feel it, James," she taunted, circling me. "The curse is taking hold. You're no different from the others who've tried to resist it. Soon, you'll be mine—just another puppet for my amusement."
