His chest rose and fell heavily.
The warmth from earlier — Mia's clingy grip, Darius's teasing smirk, even Dan's rare, approving nod — still lingered in his veins, but now it felt almost unbearable. Like an invisible chain pulling at his heart.
Ethan's hands clenched and unclenched at his sides.
'This is it…'
His throat felt dry. His mind, usually so clear and sharp, now spun with too many thoughts at once. The faces of his family flashed behind his eyes.
A sharp breath escaped him.
'No turning back now.'
Yet, beneath the resolve, a storm churned.
He wasn't from this world. He wasn't truly Ethan Drakethorne — not originally.
And yet… tonight, as he looked back at the place he called home and the people who had embraced him as family, the weight of those bonds pressed down harder than ever before.
His heart throbbed painfully in his chest.
