The fortress groaned beneath her feet, the stones splitting under the immense weight of the darkness that now pulsed through Ava. Her blackened eyes, glowing with a twisted, otherworldly light, reflected the abyss that had fully claimed her. Her transformation was complete, and Lucas, standing several feet away, could only watch in horror. The woman he loved was vanishing before his eyes, and in her place stood something far more terrifying.
"Ava..." His voice trembled as he took a cautious step forward, his heart pounding as if it were trying to break free from his chest. "I know you're still in there. Please—don't let it take you."
