Khaterine lay motionless on the cold stone table, her body convulsing as Zephyrion's dark energy seeped into her mind like tendrils of ink spreading through the clear water.
Every scream that tore from her throat echoed through the laboratory's walls, only to be swallowed by the oppressive shadows.
Memories unraveled, twisted, and reshaped with each pulse of dark magic.
The warm laughter of her childhood faded into silence, replaced by the icy voice of Zephyrion whispering into the depths of her consciousness.
"Love is an illusion," he murmured, his hand cool against her fevered skin.
"They abandoned you. Betrayed you. Richmond left you to suffer while he sought his own salvation. Ahcehera stands only as an obstacle to your power. And Rohzivaan… he sees you as nothing but a threat."
Khaterine's mind tried to resist, clinging to fragments of a life once filled with warmth and hope.
But the memories were fleeting, like water slipping through her fingers.
