Silence fell over the chamber.
Lira's pulse pounded in her ears. "You're telling me that the only way to stop this relic from controlling me is to kill the very creature who's hunting me?"
Lucan nodded. "Exactly."
Kael scowled. "That's not a plan. That's a death sentence."
Nyra folded her arms. "Unless you have an alternative, we have no choice."
Lucan leaned against the table, studying Lira. "There may be another way. But it would require you to embrace the relic fully—to control it before it controls you."
Lira swallowed hard. "And if I can't?"
Lucan's gaze was cold. "Then you become what you fear most."
A chill ran through her. She wasn't just fighting for survival anymore—she was fighting to keep her soul.
She took a steadying breath and looked at her companions. "Then I need to learn. Fast."
Kael placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Then we start now."
Lucan smirked. "Good. Because the vampire lord isn't waiting."
Outside, the night stretched on, and in the distance, a pair of glowing red eyes watched from the darkness.