Chapter 28

Third-Person POV

Draven felt a scorching pain pierce his soul as something within him trembled awake: dangerous, dark, and hungry. That black force coursed through every bone, tainting his blood with its foul power. He fought to contain the demon lodged in his chest, but it pulsed far stronger, desperate for freedom and dominion. Without warning, his heavy lids snapped open, revealing brilliant red orbs that burned like torches in the gloom. His lips peeled back, unleashing a low, menacing growl.

In an instant, the darkness swallowed Draven’s consciousness—the demon was free. His body shuddered violently, each tremor resonating through the earth. A deep rumble issued from his throat, so fierce that the cave floor quaked and tiny stones cascaded to the ground. Again he growled, bloodshot eyes ablaze with crimson fire. He was no longer himself; his human spirit lay trapped within the pitch-black cavern of his own heart. The demon reigned supreme.

Slowly, he li