el's

intensity that made my breath catch. Softly, he whispered, "I'm not here to fight," entering. "I just wanted to see you." My thoughts were racing as I stepped back. "Luka, this isn't correct," I murmured, my voice strained. "I cannot," He came closer, and I was frozen. Every inch between us felt electric, as though the air itself was dense with expectation. "Ymir," he murmured softly, his voice low and strong with silent intensity. We fit together. Embrace it. It's our identity. His fingers brushed mine, and I felt the heat between us flare, an uncontrolled explosion of energy. I drew back, but it was too late. The force surged through me, sending a pulse of heat throughout my body. I fell back, my head spinning. "What's going on with me?" My voice was almost undetectable above the thumping of my heart. I could not shake the impression that something was amiss. As the sun sank below the horizon, the anxiety that had followed me all day sunk deeper. I believed I could breathe a bit easier, that I was starting to control the unusual forces rising inside me. I was mistaken. I hadn't even reached the university courtyard before I felt it, the air thickening, the pressure rising around me. I felt my heart skip a beat. A person waited in the darkness; his silhouette known yet distorted. Gideon I stopped. Gazing at the person standing in front of me, my breath froze in my throat and a sudden dread started to grip me. Though his mask hid the rest of his face, his presence was clear; his black cloak danced in the evening wind. This day had me worried. Knew it was on its way. "You should have known," he replied, his voice as frigid as steel, loaded with the burden of a thousand cautions. I stepped back, but my body wouldn't budge any quicker. I found myself caught between the past and the present, between who I was and who I was meant to be. Stepping out of the shadows with ease and every motion deliberate, he said, "Rachel, you can't outrun your fate." You are part of the cult. Whether