James's POV
I stood in the heart of the forest, the oppressive darkness pressing against me like a weight I couldn't shake off. The trees loomed tall and twisted, their gnarled branches reaching out like fingers, trying to pull me back into the abyss that had been clawing at my mind. It was suffocating, and I struggled to breathe, each inhalation filled with the cold, bitter scent of fear and despair.
But amidst that darkness, I could feel her—Aimee. She was a beacon of light in my life, the one who had always believed in me, even when I couldn't believe in myself. I had fought against the shadows that sought to consume me, but each time I thought I'd won, they would come rushing back, stronger and more vicious than before.
