LUCIAN'S P.O.V.
The darkness wasn't just around me—it was within me, swallowing everything I'd ever known. For the first time in my life, I felt truly powerless. No amount of strength, wealth, or dominance could undo what had just happened. I was blind.
"Ares?" I called out, my voice shaky even though I tried to steady it.
"I'm here," Ares replied, his voice a balm against the chaos in my mind. "We'll get through this, Lucian. I'm here. You're not alone."
I felt his reassurance seeping through me, but it did little to quiet the storm of thoughts.The trade was done. My sight for Mai's. A bargain struck with the Moon Goddess herself.
Teresa's scent was the first thing I clung to in the void—warm, sweet, tinged with a sadness that pierced through me like a blade. "Teresa," I croaked, reaching out blindly until I found her hand. I was trembling but I couldn't help it.
