Cassie felt the biting cold of the night as she walked beside Lucca, their hands bound together by chains of dark energy that seemed directly connected to Oziel. Each step felt heavy, as if every inch of ground they covered brought them closer to an inevitable end.
Cassie fought hard to hold back her tears. Lucca's gaze was fixed straight ahead, his face pale and empty—he was nothing more than a shell of the man she once knew. The dark whispers echoing in Lucca's mind made him shudder, reminding Cassie of the abyss that loomed ever closer. Oziel had completely taken control of him.
"Do you really not remember who you are?" Cassie whispered, desperately trying to reach the small trace of humanity left in Lucca. Her voice was hoarse, filled with the pain she tried to hide. "You used to protect me. You said, no matter what, you'd never let me fall."
